different between relief vs balm

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???li?f/
• Rhymes: -i?f

Etymology 1

From Old French relief (“assistance”), from Old French relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”). See also relieve.

Noun

relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

1. The removal of stress or discomfort.
2. The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
3. Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
4. The person who takes over a shift for another.
5. Aid or assistance offered in time of need.
6. (law) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.
7. A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.
8. A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.

Synonyms

• (removal of stress and discomfort): ease, alleviation, liss, respite
• (feeling of removal of stress and discomfort): ease, alleviation, liss
• (person who takes over a shift): stand-in, substitute, backup, fill-in

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Italian rilevare (“to raise”), from Latin relevare (“to raise”).

Noun

relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

1. A type of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
2. The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.
3. The difference of elevations on a surface.

   the relief on that part of the Earth's surface

4. (heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.

Synonyms

• (type of artwork): embossing
• (difference of elevations on a surface): texture, topography

Derived terms

• relief map

Translations

Adjective

relief (comparative more relief, superlative most relief)

1. (of a surface) Characterized by surface inequalities.
2. Of or used in letterpress.

Anagrams

• Leifer, e-filer, liefer, refile, relfie, relife

French

Etymology

Old French, from relever.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.lj?f/

Noun

relief m (plural reliefs)

1. projection, relief
2. (geography, mineralogy) relief, surface elevation
3. (figuratively) contrast, definition, offset (against something else)
4. (sculpture) relief

Derived terms

• bas-relief

Further reading

• “relief” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Polish

Etymology

From French relief, from Old French relief (“assistance”), from relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?r?l.j?f/

Noun

relief m inan

1. relief

Declension

Romanian

Etymology

From French relief.

Noun

relief n (plural reliefuri)

1. relief (difference of elevations on the Earth's surface)

Related terms

• reliefa
• reliefare
• reliefat

English

Etymology

From Middle English bawme, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French baume, from Old French basme, from Latin balsamum, itself from Ancient Greek ???????? (bálsamon). Spelling modified 16th c. to conform to Latin etymology. Doublet of balsam.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /b??m/
• (US) IPA^(key): /b?m/, /b?lm/
• Rhymes: -??m
• Homophone: bomb (for speakers with the father-bother merger)

Noun

balm (countable and uncountable, plural balms)

1. Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America.
2. A plant or tree yielding such substance.
3. Any soothing oil or lotion, especially an aromatic one.

   There is a balm in Gilead... (Spiritual)

4. (figuratively) Something soothing.

   Classical music is a sweet balm for our sorrows.
5. The lemon balm, Melissa officinalis
6. Any of a number of other aromatic herbs with a similar citrus-like scent, such as bee balm and horse balm.

Synonyms

• (aromatic resin): balsam
• (plant or tree): balsam
• (soothing oil or lotion): balsam
• (something soothing): balsam

Related terms

• balmy
• balsam
• embalming

Translations

Verb

balm (third-person singular simple present balms, present participle balming, simple past and past participle balmed)

1. (transitive, archaic) To anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To soothe; to mitigate.

See also

• lotion
• ointment
• unguent

Anagrams

• ALBM, BAML, LBMA, Lamb, blam, lamb