relay race

American

noun

Sports.

a race between two or more teams of contestants, each contestant being relieved by a teammate after running part of the distance.

relay race British

noun

a race between two or more teams of contestants in which each contestant covers a specified portion of the distance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of relay race

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy died after suffering a medical emergency during the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay race, the department announced early Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Relay race by Culper spy ring delivers “news of the greatest consequence” from Townsend to Roe to Woodhull to Brewster to Washington.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

If the B.H.-S. had won the Relay race, they would have taken the championship by the score of 55 to 48.

From Harper's Round Table, April 30, 1895 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023