Showing results for "relay"

• a variation of re-lay.

relay

¹ American  

[ree-lay, ree-lay, ri-lay] / ˈri leɪ, ˈri leɪ, rɪˈleɪ /

noun

• relays
  plural

1. 

   a series of persons relieving one another or taking turns; shift.

2. a fresh set of dogs or horses posted in readiness for use in a hunt, on a journey, etc.

3. Sports.

   1. relay race.

   2. a length or leg in a relay race.

4. Machinery. an automatic control device in which the settings of valves, switches, etc., are regulated by a powered element, as a motor, solenoid, or pneumatic mechanism actuated by a smaller, sensitive element.

5. Electricity. a device, usually consisting of an electromagnet and an armature, by which a change of current or voltage in one circuit is used to make or break a connection in another circuit or to affect the operation of other devices in the same or another circuit.

6. (initial capital letter) one of an early series of experimental low-altitude, active communications satellites.

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verb (used with object)

relayed, relaying

1. to carry forward by or as if by relays.

   to relay a message.

2. to provide with or replace by fresh relays.

3. Electricity. to retransmit (a signal, message, etc.) by or as if by means of a telegraphic relay.

verb (used without object)

relayed, relaying

1. Electricity. to retransmit a signal or message electronically.

relay ² American  

[ree-lay] / riˈleɪ /

verb (used with object)

relaid, relaying

1. re-lay.

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relay British  

noun

1. a person or team of people relieving others, as on a shift

2. a fresh team of horses, dogs, etc, posted at intervals along a route to relieve others

3. the act of relaying or process of being relayed

4. 1. short for relay race

   2. one of the sections of a relay race

5. an automatic device that controls the setting of a valve, switch, etc, by means of an electric motor, solenoid, or pneumatic mechanism

6. electronics an electrical device in which a small change in current or voltage controls the switching on or off of circuits or other devices

7. radio

   1. a combination of a receiver and transmitter designed to receive radio signals and retransmit them, in order to extend their range

   2. ( as modifier )

      a relay station

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verb

1. to carry or spread (something, such as news or information) by relays

2. to supply or replace with relays

3. to retransmit (a signal) by means of a relay

4. to broadcast (a performance) by sending out signals through a transmitting station

   this concert is being relayed from the Albert Hall

relay Scientific  

/ rē′lā /

1. An electrical switch that is operated by an electromagnet, such as a solenoid. When a small current passes through the electromagnet's coiled wire, it produces a magnetic field that attracts a movable iron bar, causing it to pivot and open or close the switch.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• relays
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of relay

First recorded in 1375–1425; (for the verb) late Middle English relaien “to unleash fresh hounds in a hunt,” from Middle French relaier, Old French: “to leave behind, release,” from re- re- + laier “to leave” (dialectal variant of laissier, from Latin laxāre; see relax); (for the noun) late Middle English relai “set of fresh hounds,” from Middle French, derivative of relaier

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Explanation

If you relay something, you pass it to another person. When you relay the information that your pet monkey is known to attack people to your neighbors, you should bring a basket of muffins. Relay comes from the French relayer, which means "to change hounds on a hunt." It still has that sense of something passed in motion. You might run a relay race — each team member carries a baton part-way, then passes it on. We relay news, as when you take a message from Sally and relay it to Harry. A fresh work crew is a relay, and so is an electrical switch that can turn a second circuit on.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

relay relays relaid relayed relaying

Sophie Evans - who won gold as part of England's Commonwealth Games mixed relay team in Birmingham in 2022 - said she was "surprised" to receive the news like that.

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

The nationwide tour was one of Wasserman’s earliest plans for the relay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

In other cases, he said, Navatek’s lobbyists would relay a request from an intermediary for a specific dollar amount.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

That energy is transferred to ytterbium ions, which serve as a relay, and then passed to erbium ions.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

The call got passed back like a relay baton, and everyone who heard it found a new burst of energy.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Watch for a crack in the story your loved one relays about the relationship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

She and Asher-Smith will return to action on Wednesday, when attention turns to the 200m medals before the weekend's relays.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

"We found that activating this pathway excites the part of the spinal cord that relays touch and pain to the brain, causing touch to now be perceived as pain as well," said Ball.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 27, 2026

Calabasas has won two of three head-to-head relays with Rosary this spring, having clocked 44.95 to take the teams’ first encounter at the Mt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026

Each time Marie-Laure relays another rumor to her father, he repeats “Germany” with a question mark after it, as if saying it for the very first time.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

"We think it paid for a huge renovation project here at that time," says the Very Reverend Philip Hesketh, Dean of Rochester, pointing out the quire paving that was relaid.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

The unpaid work team at the Nene Valley Railway Museum relaid a track bed at the site.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025

The field has been belatedly relaid because there were concerts staged at the stadium last weekend.

From Seattle Times ● May 27, 2022

The problems with a newly relaid pitch were immediately apparent as Toby Alderweireld lost his footing straight from kick-off and was rescued by an offside flag as Stephen Humphrys tried to capitalise on his slip.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 18, 2018

The covering board ought to be relaid all round.

From Wyndham's Pal by Harold Bindloss

Audio shows Filgueiras stayed on the radio and relayed what was happening during the rapid descent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

Spanish journalist Roberto Gómez was dozing on the high-speed Renfe train, when the train stopped and an announcement was relayed to passengers that there was congestion on the tracks.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Slaughter relayed what Barry’s group has harped on all week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

In widely relayed video footage, three helmeted riot police officers are seen facing the high school student.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

The reporter’s face dripped with sweat as he relayed the information.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Customers have come in with recommendations from ChatGPT, relaying them to these athletes who, little do they know, have tried nearly every shoe imaginable because they run 100-plus miles a week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

And thanks to Dame Esther relaying his story to viewers on That's Life!, millions of people are now aware of the huge impact Sir Nicholas had.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Martin, Tennessee, is a small, out-of-the-way town that is ultimately best explained to strangers by relaying its travel time from Memphis.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

People in towns and villages around Madrid have been relaying their experiences of escaping the fires, some with just the clothes they were wearing.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

My job was to work in Mission Control and to talk on the radio with the crew, relaying necessary information to them.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

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Related Words

• broadcast
• carry
• communicate
• deliver
• hand over
• send
• turn over

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