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relay

1
[ noun ree-ley; verb ree-ley, ri-ley ]
/ noun ˈri leɪ; verb ˈri leɪ, rɪˈleɪ /
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See synonyms for: relay / re-laid / re-laying / re-lays on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used with object), re·layed, re·lay·ing.
verb (used without object), re·layed, re·lay·ing.
Electricity. to retransmit a signal or message electronically.
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Origin of relay

1
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

Other definitions for relay (2 of 3)

relay2
[ ree-ley ]
/ riˈleɪ /

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

Other definitions for relay (3 of 3)

re-lay

or re·lay

[ ree-ley ]
/ riˈleɪ /

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

Origin of re-lay

First recorded in 1580–90; re- + lay1

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH re-lay

re-lay , relay
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use relay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for relay

relay

noun (ˈriːleɪ)
verb (rɪˈleɪ) (tr)

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

Scientific definitions for relay

relay
[ rēlā ]

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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