reliever

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A garment kept for being lent out.

Register: dated, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Now that fellow wants five or ten dollars on his suit. He goes to this pawn shop and asks for a reliever. That is a second-hand suit, pretty well used up.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “reliever” mean?

A garment kept for being lent out.

Is “reliever” formal or informal?

reliever is generally dated, slang.