1. an object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical interest: "a museum of railway relics"Similarartefacthistorical objectancient objectantiquityantiqueheirloomobject of virtucuriofossil
▪ a part of a deceased holy person's body or belongings kept as an object of reverence: "miracles wrought by the relics of St Stephen"Similarremainsbody partsbonescorpsedead bodycadaverholy/sacred objectsreliquiae
▪ a person or thing that has survived from an earlier time but is now outmoded:"the supermodel has become an embarrassing relic from the early 1990s"
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French relique (originally plural), from Latin reliquiae (see reliquiae).
