reliever
UK: rɪˈliːvə | US: rɪˈliːvər
n. a person or thing that relieves or alleviates something (e.g., pain, stress, or a difficult situation)
n. (baseball) a pitcher who replaces the starting pitcher during a game
n. (informal) something that provides comfort or relaxation
The word "reliever" originates from the verb "relieve," which comes from Old French "relever" (to raise, lighten) and Latin "relevare" (to lift again, alleviate). The suffix "-er" is an English agentive suffix, indicating a person or thing that performs the action. Thus, a "reliever" is literally "one who relieves"—someone or something that lessens a burden or provides relief. The baseball sense emerged in the early 20th century, metaphorically extending the idea of "alleviating" the starting pitcher's workload.
The doctor prescribed a pain reliever for her headache.
The team's star reliever closed the game with three strikeouts.
A warm cup of tea can be a great stress reliever after a long day.
The new policy acted as a reliever for the financial strain on small businesses.
Laughter is often called the best natural reliever of tension.