reliquary

noun

rel·i·quary | \ ˈre-lə-ˌkwer-ē

How to pronounce reliquary (audio)

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plural reliquaries

Definition of reliquary

: a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept

Examples of reliquary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One of the show’s earliest pieces, installed on the second floor, is, in effect, a civil rights era reliquary. — New York Times, "Black Grief, White Grievance: Artists Search for Racial Justice," 18 Feb. 2021 The new chapel will include a reliquary for 27 saints, including St. Anthony of Padua himself, St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Elizabeth. — Meagan Ellsworth, Chron, "Groundbreaking ceremony blesses 'Our Lady of the Angels' chapel," 6 Feb. 2021 One personal reliquary housed at the British Museum, dated to 1340, is made from gold, amethyst, rock crystal, and enamel. — Katy Kelleher, Longreads, "The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Lockets," 10 Aug. 2020 Sunga lifted the lid off one of the wooden reliquaries, rotten with age, and three skulls peered out at us. — Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Remote Solomon Islands Are a Diver's Paradise in the South Pacific," 22 May 2020 Young Palestinian scouts played bagpipes and the crowd snapped pictures as a clergyman held the silver reliquary and marched toward the church. — Washington Post, "Relic thought to be from Jesus’ manger arrives in Bethlehem," 1 Dec. 2019 Young Palestinian scouts played bagpipes and the crowd snapped pictures as a clergyman held the silver reliquary and marched toward the church. — Washington Post, "Relic thought to be from Jesus’ manger arrives in Bethlehem," 1 Dec. 2019 Another powerful work associated with Saint Sebastian is a 1484 German monstrance, a gilded silver and rock crystal reliquary believed to contain a sliver of bone from the saint’s body. — Steven Litt, cleveland, "Cleveland Museum of Art collection shows how humanity coped with pandemics from Black Death to AIDS," 26 Apr. 2020 Young Palestinian scouts played bagpipes and the crowd snapped pictures as a clergyman held the silver reliquary and marched toward the church. — Washington Post, "Relic thought to be from Jesus’ manger arrives in Bethlehem," 1 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reliquary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

3 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Reliquary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reliquary. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for reliquary

reliquary

noun

English Language Learners Definition of reliquary

: a container that is used to hold holy objects (called relics)

See the full definition for reliquary in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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