Dictionary

1relay

noun re·lay \ˈrē-ˌlā\

: a race between teams in which each team member runs, swims, etc., a different part of the race

: the act of passing something from one person or device to another; also : a system for doing this

: a group of people, horses, etc., that takes the place of others so that something (such as a job or an activity) is done continuously

Full Definition of RELAY

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 (as switches) in the same or a different circuit
4
5
:  the act of passing along (as a message or ball) by stages; also :  one of such stages
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Origin of RELAY

Middle English, set of fresh hounds, from relayen
First Known Use: 1651

Rhymes with RELAY

abbé, affray, agley, airplay, airway, aisleway, all-day, allay, allée, Angers, Anhui, archway, array, ashtray, assay, astray, Augier, away, aweigh, backstay, ballet, base pay, bat ray, beignet, belay, beltway, benday, beret, betray, bewray, bidet, bikeway, birthday, Biscay, Bizet, blasé, bobstay, Bombay, Bossuet, bouchée, bouclé, boule, bouquet, Bourget, bourrée, breezeway, Bouvet, Broadway, buffet, byplay, byway, cachet, café, cahier, Cambay, Cathay, causeway, chaîné, chalet, chambray, chassé, child's play, ciré, cliché, congé, convey, co-pay, Corday, corvée, coudé, coupé, crawlway, crochet, croquet, crossway, cube, curé, cy pres, DA, daresay, D-day, death ray, decay, deejay, defray, delay, dengue, dismay, display, distrait, DJ, donnée, doomsday, doorway, dossier, downplay, dragée, driveway, duvet, Earl Grey, embay, épée, essay, estray, Ewe, fair play, fairway, Feuillet, field day, filé, filet, fillet, fireclay, fishway, flambé, flight pay, floodway, flyway, folkway, footway, foray, force play, forebay, foreplay, forestay, formée, forte, fouetté, foul play, Fouquet, four-way, fourchée, foyer, franglais, frappé, freeway, Friday, frieze, fumet, gainsay, Galway, gamay, gangway, gateway, gelée, give way, glacé, godet, gourmet, Green Bay, greenway, guideway, gunplay, hair spray, halfway, hallway, Hannay, harm's way, hatchway, headway, hearsay, Hebei, Hefei, heyday, highway, hold sway, homestay, hooray, horseplay, Hubei, in play, in re, inlay, inveigh, Islay, issei, jackstay, James Bay, jennet, jeté, Jetway, Jolliet, keyway, Kobe, koine, kouprey, lamé, laneway, lay day, leeway, lifeway, Lomé, Lord's day, lwei, lycée, M-day, maguey, mainstay, make hay, Malay, malgré, man-day, Mande, Manet, manqué, margay, massé, match play, maté, May Day, Medway, melee, meze, midday, midway, Midway, Millay, Millet, mislay, misplay, moiré, Monday, Monet, Mornay, name day, Niamey, nisei, noonday, Norway, nosegay, obey, OK, olé, ombré, one-way, osprey, Otway, outlay, outré, outstay, outweigh, oyez, PA, parfait, parkway, parlay, parquet, partway, passé, pâté, pathway, pavé, payday, pearl gray, per se, pince-nez, pipe clay, piqué, piquet, pith ray, PK, plié, plissé, pommée, Pompeii, portray, prepay, projet, pulque, puree, purvey, quale, Quesnay, raceway, Rahway, railway, rappee, red bay, repay, replay, risqué, roadway, Roget, role-play, ropeway, rosé, rosebay, Roubaix, roué, routeway, runway, sachet, saint's day, Salé, sansei, sashay, sauté, screenplay, scrub jay, seaway, Shark Bay, shar-pei, shipway, short-day, sick bay, sick day, sick pay, sideway, skyway, slideway, slipway, sluiceway, soigné, soiree, someday, someway, soothsay, soufflé, speedway, spillway, squeeze play, stairway, sternway, stingray, straightway, strathspey, stroke play, subway, Sunday, survey, sweet bay, swordplay, tea tray, tempeh, thoughtway, thruway, Thursday, tideway, today, Tokay, tollway, Torbay, touché, toupee, trackway, tramway, Tuesday, Twelfth Day, two-way, unlay, unsay, valet, V-day, veejay, vide, visé, Vouvray, walkway, waylay, Wednesday, weekday, white way, windway, wood ray, wordplay, workday

2relay

verb re·lay \ˈrē-ˌlā, ri-ˈlā\
re·layedre·lay·ing

Definition of RELAY

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

Origin of RELAY

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
First Known Use: 1788

3relay

verb re·lay \(ˌ)rē-ˈlā\
re·laid\-ˈlād\re·lay·ing

Definition of RELAY

transitive verb
:  to lay again <relay track>

Origin of RELAY

re- + 1lay
First Known Use: 1757
RELAY Defined for Kids

1relay

noun re·lay \ˈrē-ˌlā\

Definition of RELAY for Kids

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

2relay

verb re·lay \ˈrē-ˌlā, ri-ˈlā\
re·layedre·lay·ing

Definition of RELAY for Kids

:  to pass along by stages <Please relay the message to the others.>
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