1. A sliding or falling back, especially into a former bad state, either of body or morals; backsliding; the
state of having fallen back.
Alas! from what high hope to what relapse
Unlooked for are we fallen!
Milton. 2. One who has relapsed, or fallen back, into error; a backslider; specifically, one who, after recanting
error, returns to it again. [Obs.]
Relapser
(Re*laps"er) n. One who relapses. Bp. Hall.
Relapsing
(Re*laps"ing), a. Marked by a relapse; falling back; tending to return to a former worse state.
Relapsing fever (Med.), an acute, epidemic, contagious fever, which prevails also endemically in Ireland,
Russia, and some other regions. It is marked by one or two remissions of the fever, by articular and
muscular pains, and by the presence, during the paroxism of spiral bacterium (Spirochæte) in the blood.
It is not usually fatal. Called also famine fever, and recurring fever.
Relate
(Re*late") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Related; p. pr. & vb. n. Relating.] [F. relater to recount, LL.
relatare, fr. L. relatus, used as p. p. of referre. See Elate, and cf. Refer.]
1. To bring back; to restore. [Obs.]
Abate your zealous haste, till morrow next again
Both light of heaven and strength of men relate.
Spenser. 2. To refer; to ascribe, as to a source. [Obs. or R.]
3. To recount; to narrate; to tell over.
This heavy act with heavy heart relate.
Shak. 4. To ally by connection or kindred.
To relate one's self, to vent thoughts in words. [R.]
Syn. — To tell; recite; narrate; recount; rehearse; report; detail; describe.
Relate
(Re*late"), v. i.
1. To stand in some relation; to have bearing or concern; to pertain; to refer; — with to.
All negative or privative words relate positive ideas.
Locke. 2. To make reference; to take account. [R.& Obs.]
Reckoning by the years of their own consecration without relating to any imperial account.
Fuller.
