n.
Pronunciation: ri- ' l ē f
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 estate
2 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 : DIVERSION
3 : release from a post or from the performance of duty
4 : one that takes the place of another on duty
5 : legal remedy or redress
6 [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 figures
7 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 surface
9 : the pitching done by a relief pitcher <two innings of hitless relief >
relief 6b