| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| relic, relict (nn.) |
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| These are partial synonyms, in the sense “something surviving from a mostly decayed or vanished past.” Arrowheads and pottery shards are relics of past civilizations; certain plants, animals, and other natural phenomena are often labeled relicts, being the last remaining vestiges of older developments. Relict is also an archaic or at least old-fashioned and very stiffly Formal word for “widow”: She is the relict of the late governor. Both words also can function as adjectives. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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