Added 9 October 2026
relict
/ˈɹɛlɪkt/ noun
Latin root: relicta Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about relict at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- An organism or species surviving as a remnant of an otherwise extinct flora or fauna in an environment much changed from that in which it originated.
- Geological feature that is a remnant of a pre-existing formation after other parts have disappeared.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English relicte (“widow”), from Middle French relicte (“widow”), from Late Latin relicta (“widow”), from Latin relictus, past participle of relinquō (“to abandon, to relinquish, to leave (behind)”), from re- + linquō (“to leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relic, derelict, and relinquish.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)