Comic Relief: A humorous scene, incident, character, or bit of dialogue occurring after some serious or tragic moment. Comic relief is deliberately designed to relieve emotional intensity and simultaneously heighten and highlight the seriousness or tragedy of the action. Macbeth contains Shakespeare's most famous example of comic relief in the form of a drunken porter.

 

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Comic Relief: A humorous scene, incident, character, or bit of dialogue occurring after some serious or tragic moment. Comic relief is deliberately designed to relieve emotional intensity and simultaneous . . . View Full Definition

Relief Valve: A device designed to open if it detects excess temperature or pressure.

Relief Pitcher: The pitcher replacing the starting pitcher. The relief pitcher can win, lose, save, or not be involved in the game’s final score.

Soldiers And Sailors Civil Relief Act: A law prohibiting foreclosures while a person is serving in the military and within three months thereafter except by court order.