Main Entry:

¹re·lief

Pronunciation:

\ri-ˈlēf\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English relef, relief, from Anglo-French from relever to relieve

Date:

14th century

1: a payment made by a male feudal tenant to his lord on succeeding to an inherited estate2 a: removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing b: welfare 2a c: military assistance to an endangered post or force d: means of breaking or avoiding monotony or boredom : diversion3: release from a post or from the performance of duty4: one that takes the place of another on duty5: legal remedy or redress6 [French, from Middle French, from Italian rilievo relievo] a: a mode of sculpture in which forms and figures are distinguished from a surrounding plane surface b: sculpture or a sculptural form executed in this mode c: projecting detail, ornament, or figures7 a: sharpness of outline due to contrast <a roof in bold relief against the sky> b: the state of being distinguished by contrast <throws the two opinions into bold relief>8: the elevations or inequalities of a land surface9: the pitching done by a relief pitcher <two innings of hitless relief>

[relief illustration]