reliever
UK[rɪˈliːvə]US[rɪˈliːvər]
n
a person or thing that relieves something, especially pain or distress.
n
(baseball) a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
liev
er
re
again, back
liev
lighten, raise
er
agent suffix
Etymology
the word 'reliever' is built upon the verb 'relieve', which entered english from old french 'relever'. its core components trace back to latin: the prefix 're-' and the verb 'levare', meaning "to lift". the literal, ancient sense was "to lift back up" or "to lighten a burden". this concrete action evolved into the abstract meanings of alleviating pain, stress, or duty. the agent suffix '-er' was then appended in english to create a noun for the person or thing that performs this act of relief, a formation consistent with many other occupational or instrumental terms in the language.
Analysis
Structure: re (again, back) + liev (lighten, raise) + er (agent suffix)
- re: a latin prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- liev: from the latin root 'levare', meaning "to lift up, lighten, raise", present in the english verb 'relieve'.
- er: an english agent suffix from old english '-ere', used to form nouns denoting a person or thing that performs an action.
Examples
the doctor prescribed a strong pain reliever for her migraine.
the team's star reliever pitched two scoreless innings to secure the win.
he was a great reliever of tension in the office with his timely jokes.