relic vs remnant

relic

noun
  • That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion. 

  • A part of the body of a saint, or an ancient religious object, kept for veneration. 

  • Something old and outdated, possibly kept for sentimental reasons. 

verb
  • To cause (an object) to appear old or worn, to distress. 

remnant

noun
  • The small portion remaining of a larger thing or group. 

  • The remaining fabric at the end of the bolt. 

  • An unsold end of piece goods, as cloth, ribbons, carpets, etc. 

How often have the words relic and remnant occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )