All 34 Uses of

relative
in
Funny in Farsi

Whenever my relatives came to visit us in America, they would watch the evening news a few times, and then refuse to leave the house.†
p. 19.6

relatives = people related by blood or marriage

Between frenzied shopping trips to Sears to buy presents for our relatives back home, my mother spent her last few weeks giving gifts to our American friends.†
p. 35.5

We remember the kindness more than ever, knowing that our relatives who immigrated to this country after the Iranian Revolution did not encounter the same America.†
p. 36.7

We always reached Tehran in the evening and spent the night at relatives' houses.†
p. 53.7

The next morning, we set off again, complete with fresh sandwiches and fruit courtesy of my relatives.†
p. 53.7 *

Every summer my relatives came from all over Iran to stay with us, and, sure enough, it was always some child's turn to learn to swim.†
p. 68.9

News of my European failure soon reached the rest of my relatives, thus cementing my reputation as The One Incapable of Swimming.†
p. 72.2

All the other relatives prepare their favorite Persian dishes and we place them next to the stuffed turkey with all the trimmings.†
p. 74.3

My relatives and I are proud to be Iranian, but we also give tremendous thanks for our lives in America, a nation where freedom reigns.†
p. 75.4

Growing up in Iran, I was surrounded not by snow or tanned people, but by relatives.†
p. 96.6

Not surprisingly, my native language, Persian, contains many more precise words for relatives than does the English language.†
p. 96.7

As boring as graduation ceremonies are, my relatives attend every one, rejoicing in the academic accomplishments of the children and grandchildren.†
p. 102.3

My relatives also attend one another's housewarming parties, New Year's celebrations, and baby showers, all en masse.†
p. 102.6

Together, my relatives form an alliance that represents a genuine and enduring love of family, one that sustains them through difficulties and gives them reasons to celebrate during good times.†
p. 103.2

Now, whenever we visit my relatives, all of whom dote on my husband, I realize that he didn't marry me despite my tribe, he married me because of them.†
p. 103.8

Without my relatives, I am but a thread; together, we form a colorful and elaborate Persian carpet.†
p. 103.9

For twelve days after the equinox, people visit relatives and friends, always starting with the eldest.†
p. 106.4

Not even when my relatives ended their fasts during the holy month of Ramadan had I seen people consume this much food.†
p. 128.6

Since the French also kiss twice on the cheek, Francois was not completely frightened by the throng of relatives waiting to give him a peck.†
p. 150.1

He did, however, complain about certain relatives whose pecks were a little juicier than he would have liked.†
p. 150.2

Even after my church ceremony, when everyone is supposed to leave the church quietly and in order, my relatives broke into a major kissing ceremony, making us look as if we had never been to a church wedding before, which was true.†
p. 150.4

I resembled my maternal relatives, but the nose wasn't quite bad enough to invite comparison to a puppet.†
p. 162.6

The consensus among my female relatives was that even though my nose wasn't horrific, it could use a little improvement.†
p. 162.7

Despite the ominous warnings from my female relatives that noses keep growing well into adulthood, I managed to graduate from college, get married, and have children, all with my original nose.†
p. 163.2

Each year, my relatives in Iran, a country whose people are known for hospitality, beg my parents to stay with them, but my father refuses, explaining that staying in a suite is not something he can afford anywhere else.†
p. 186.0

The relatives come and visit him, and he treats them all to lavish restaurant meals, leaving huge tips for all the employees.†
p. 186.2

For my American friends, "a visiting relative" meant a three-night stay.†
p. 24.7

To my family, a vacation usually meant going to a relative's house and sleeping on the floor, squeezed between several cousins.†
p. 59.8 *

Definitions:

(1) (relative as in: the relative importance)
compared with something else (not an absolute value or not complete)
(2) (relative as in: they are relatives)
connected
in various senses, including:
- a person related by blood or marriage -- as in "The hospital won't let me visit her because I'm not a relative."
- a plant or animal related by origin or grouping -- "The closest relative of the dog is the gray wolf."
(3) (relative as in: questions relative to the topic)
related to
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

More specialized and less common senses of the word are found in philosophy, grammar, and music. Consult a comprehensive dictionary if you wish to see those. All senses have to do with relationships.