The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word RELIC
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
R
E
L
I
C
More clues leading to the result RELIC
- In church, priest remains
- Memorial of antiquity priest kept in church
- Holy object oddly laid in playing field
- Finally consider Samuel's teacher Charlie a bit of a saint?
- Trace local banished from China for example
- Item of historical interest found in barrel I collected
- Scoundrel I caught fencing antiquity
- Souvenir from Long Island found in park
- Piece of history concerning '51? First place for Churchill
- Artefact of Catholic priest being held?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "trace" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case trace = relic.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does RELIC mean?
RELIC noun- That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion.
- Something old and outdated, possibly kept for sentimental reasons.
- A part of the body of a saint, or an ancient religious object, kept for veneration.
- (often of guitars) To cause (an object) to appear old or worn, to distress.