First Known Use: 1651
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
See relay defined for English-language learners
See relay defined for kids
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Origin of RELAY
Middle English, set of fresh hounds, from relayen
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.>
Learn More About RELAY
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