reliquary
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reliquary
1650–60; < Middle French reliquaire < Medieval Latin reliquiārium, equivalent to Latin reliqui ( ae ) remains ( see relic) + -ārium -ary
Explanation
A reliquary is like a special treasure chest or display case for sacred items, like the relics of saints. Reliquaries are often richly decorated with precious gemstones and valuable metals like gold and silver. A church might have a reliquary shaped like a mini cathedral that holds a fragment of a saint's bone, believed to connect the physical world with the divine. Because they contain valuable religious items, reliquaries are not just ordinary containers, but are often beautiful works of art themselves. Some reliquaries are even covered in carvings and images that tell a story about the holy items contained within, making them valuable pieces of art and history.
Vocabulary lists containing reliquary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Started in 2002 in the front window of founder Dave Herman’s ground-floor apartment around the corner, City Reliquary is now housed in a former bodega space with a verdant back garden.
From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2021
Mr. Drysdale was in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, in the back room of City Reliquary, a storefront museum devoted to the history of New York’s five boroughs.
From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2019
The music is commissioned by a Pasadena-based nonprofit art organization, the Baseball Reliquary.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2019
Transactions at the hotel, casino, Nobu, Affliction, John Varvatos, Rocks, Hart & Huntington Tattoo or Reliquary Spa & Salon were not affected, it said.
From Reuters • May 1, 2015
Behind the Main Temple is the Rinzo or Revolving Library; and in the lower left-hand corner of the picture is the Reliquary.
From Religion in Japan by Cobbold, George A. (George Augustus)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
