reliquary

noun

rel·​i·​quary ˈre-lə-ˌkwer-ē 

plural reliquaries

: a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept

Examples of reliquary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For this special dual reliquary for Survival Kit, each piece includes details from 100 famous artists’ artworks of birds, presented along with their death dates. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Other caves became reliquaries for troves of Chinese cultural and artistic artifacts. —Maria Papadouris, JSTOR Daily, 21 Aug. 2025

This is where Greer Lankton sculpted trans bodies into reliquaries, David Wojnarowicz smeared rage and desire across gallery walls, and Cookie Mueller spun downtown chaos into sacred text. —Amy Harclerode, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025

Inside the chamber was a sandstone chest containing five reliquaries (containers for holy relics), which held bones and ash alongside nearly 1,800 pearls, rubies, topazes, sapphires and other gems. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

French reliquaire, from Medieval Latin reliquiarium, from reliquia relic — more at relic

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reliquary

• actuary
• antiquary
• bolsheviki
• calliope
• chelicerae
• covenantee
• cruciferae
• diastole
• distributee
• hyperbole
• interviewee
• origami

Kids Definition

reliquary

noun

rel·​i·​quary ˈrel-ə-ˌkwer-ē 

plural reliquaries

: a small box or shrine in which sacred relics are kept