reliquary
Americannoun
plural
reliquariesnoun
Etymology
Origin of reliquary
1650–60; < Middle French reliquaire < Medieval Latin reliquiārium, equivalent to Latin reliqui ( ae ) remains ( 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.
Nearby, the importance of France is announced by a 17th-century gilt reliquary, a cross flanked by free-standing angels.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025
The reliquary itself, held in the square’s church, was a series of exceedingly odd musical interactions between vocalists and the instruments in a combination of rap session and organized mystical service.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025
There are 1,500 new wooden chairs for the congregation, and a new reliquary behind the choir to hold the Crown of Thorns.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024
After the announcement of the beatification, a painting of the family was unveiled and a reliquary containing their remains was brought to the centre of the stage.
From Reuters • Sep. 10, 2023
Who was I, after all, but some comic Queequeg, holding close to my breast a reliquary containing the white powder of a dead European civilization?
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
