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. 19.6relatives = people related by blood or marriage
- In my family, relatives' stays were marked by seasons, not nights.†
p. 24.8
- 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
- My relatives did not think Americans were very kind.†
p. 36.9
- 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
- It's All Relatives†
p. 96.0
- 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
- In Iran, whenever we had free time, we got together with relatives.†
p. 107.6
- 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
- Relatives in Iran, that's who.†
p. 152.3
- And my female relatives had known them all.†
p. 162.5
- 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) connectedin 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.