relay

[noun ree-ley; verb ree-ley, ri-ley]

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noun

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

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

Sports.

relay race.
a length or leg in a relay race.

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.

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.

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

verb (used with object), re·layed, re·lay·ing.

to carry forward by or as if by relays: to relay a message.

to provide with or replace by fresh relays.

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

verb (used without object), re·layed, re·lay·ing.

Electricity. to retransmit a signal or message electronically.

Origin of relay

1375–1425; (v.) late Middle English relaien to unleash fresh hounds in a hunt < Middle French relaier, Old French: to leave behind, release, equivalent to re- re- + laier to leave, dialectal variant of laissier < Latin laxāre (see relax); (noun) late Middle English relai set of fresh hounds < Middle French, derivative of relaier

relay

[ree-ley]

verb (used with object), re·laid, re·lay·ing.

re-lay.

re-lay

or re·lay

[ree-ley]

verb (used with object), re-laid, re-lay·ing.

to lay again.

Origin of re-lay

First recorded in 1580–90; re- + lay¹

Can be confusedre-lay relay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for relayed

deliver, communicate, send, broadcast, carry, transfer, spread

Examples from the Web for relayed

Contemporary Examples of relayed

The journey is relayed through 78 images clustered in white frames for an intimate feel.
Annie Leibovitz Talks About ‘Pilgrimage,’ Susan Sontag, Vogue & More
Justin Jones
November 20, 2014
This information is relayed to all the agents via the security room.
Behind the Scenes With a ‘Site Agent’: The Secret Service’s Hardest Job
Marc Ambinder
October 2, 2014
The sniper barely missed, and Steven relayed the story as equal parts humorous and traumatic.
Was U.S. Journalist Steven Sotloff a Marked Man?
Ben Taub
September 2, 2014
Later that night, I relayed that story to my father and asked him: “Where is Palestine?”
Do Palestinians Really Exist?
Dean Obeidallah
July 31, 2014
They are also relayed to Boeing and the manufacturers of the engines, in this case Rolls Royce.
Malaysia’s Sinister Timeline for Flight 370 Unravels
Clive Irving
March 18, 2014

Historical Examples of relayed

Correy relayed the order, and instantly the rays were cut off.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science September 1930
Various
That was Grantline's first message to us, and Miko had relayed it to his men.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, May, 1930
Various
Frantically they relayed orders to the skeletons; orders which did not affect the losses.
Masters of Space
Edward Elmer Smith
Var stared at the screen as the flight was relayed to him, snarling.
Victory
Lester del Rey
Or had she relayed to him words that Wilton had put into her mouth?
No Clue
James Hay

British Dictionary definitions for relayed

relay

noun (ˈriːleɪ)

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

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

the act of relaying or process of being relayed

short for relay race
one of the sections of a relay race

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

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

radio

a combination of a receiver and transmitter designed to receive radio signals and retransmit them, in order to extend their range
(as modifier)a relay station

verb (rɪˈleɪ) (tr)

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

to supply or replace with relays

to retransmit (a signal) by means of a relay

British to broadcast (a performance) by sending out signals through a transmitting stationthis concert is being relayed from the Albert Hall

Word Origin for relay

C15 relaien, from Old French relaier to leave behind, from re- + laier to leave, ultimately from Latin laxāre to loosen; see relax

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

Word Origin and History for relayed

relay

late 14c., "hounds placed along a line of chase," from Middle French relai "reserve pack of hounds or other animals" (13c.), from Old French relaier "to exchange tired animals for fresh," literally "leave behind," from re- "back" (see re-) + laier "to leave" (see delay (v.)). The etymological sense is "to leave (dogs) behind (in order to take fresh ones)." Of horses, 1650s. Electromagnetic sense first recorded 1860. As a type of foot-race, it is attested from 1898.

relay

c.1400, "to set a pack of (fresh) hounds after a quarry;" also "change horses," from Old French relaiier, from relai (see relay (n.)). Related: Relayed; relaying.

re-lay

"to lay again," 1590s, from re- + lay (v.). Related: Re-laid; re-laying.

relayed in Science

relay

[rē′lā]

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.