relay
1 of 3noun
re·lay ˈrē-ˌlā 
1
a
: a supply (as of horses) arranged beforehand for successive relief
b
: a number of persons who relieve others in some work
worked in relays around the clock
2
a
: a race between teams in which each team member successively covers a specified portion of the course
b
: one of the divisions of a relay
3
: an electromagnetic device for remote or automatic control that is actuated by variation in conditions of an electric circuit and that operates in turn other devices (such as switches) in the same or a different circuit
4
: servomotor
5
: the act of passing along (something, such as a message or ball) by stages
also : one of such stages
relay
2 of 3verb (1)
re·lay ˈrē-ˌlā ri-ˈlā
ri-ˈlā relayed; relaying
transitive verb
1
a
: to place or dispose in relays
b
: to provide with relays
2
: to pass along by relays
news was relayed to distant points
3
: to control or operate by a relay
relay
3 of 3verb (2)
re·lay (ˌ)rē-ˈlā
relaid (ˌ)rē-ˈlād ; relaying
; relaying transitive verb
: to lay again
relay track
Example Sentences
Noun Our relay team is training for next weekend's race. a satellite relay of a television signal We set up a relay to carry buckets of water to the campsite. They worked in relays to clear the rubble.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, set of fresh hounds, from relayen
Verb (1)
Middle English, to release a set of fresh hounds, take a fresh horse, from Middle French relaier, from re- + laier to let go, leave — more at delay
Verb (2)
re- + lay entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (1)
1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (2)
1757, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing relay
Kids Definition
relay 1 of 2
noun
re·lay ˈrē-ˌlā
1
: a race between teams in which each team member covers a certain part of the course
2
: the act of passing something from one person to the next
3
: a fresh supply (as of horses or people) arranged to relieve others
relay
2 of 2verb
re·lay ˈrē-ˌlā
ri-ˈlā
relayed; relaying
: to pass along by stages
Please relay the message to the others.
relaid
verb
as in conveyed
to give something (such as information or an object) to someone else They relayed the good news to their children just before leaving for work. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- conveyed
- gave
- communicated
- spread
- carried
- transferred
- transmitted
- delivered
- imparted
- propagated
- passed
- reached
- spread
- bore
- handed
- rendered
- gave
- broadcast
- disseminated
- bucked
- handed over
- relinquished
- ceded
- released
- broadcasted
- turned over
- surrendered
- yielded
- gave up