relay

English Online Dictionary. What means relay‎? What does relay mean?

English

Etymology 1

From Middle French relai (“reserve pack of hounds”), from relaier (“to exchange tired animals for fresh”); literally, "to leave behind", from Old French relaier (“to leave behind”), from re- + laier (“to leave”), of uncertain origin.

Pronunciation

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈɹiːleɪ/
• (verb) IPA^(key): /ɹiˈleɪ/, /ˈɹiːleɪ/
• Rhymes: -iːleɪ
• Rhymes: -eɪ

Noun

relay (plural relays)

1. (hunting, rare) A new set of hounds. [from 15th c.]
2. (now chiefly historical) A new set of horses kept along a specific route so that they can replace animals that are tired. [from 17th c.]
3. (by extension) A new set of anything.
4. A series of vehicles travelling in sequence. [from 18th c.]
5. (sports) A competition between teams where members of a team take turns completing parts of a course or performing a certain action.

   Synonym: relay race

   1. (athletics) A track and field discipline where runners take turns in carrying a baton from start to finish. The most common events are 4×100 meter and 4×400 meter competitions. [from 19th c.]
6. (electronics) An electrical actuator that allows a relatively small electrical voltage or current to control a larger voltage or current. [from 19th c.]

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

relay (third-person singular simple present relays, present participle relaying, simple past and past participle relayed)

1. (transitive) To pass on or transfer (information). [from 19th c.]

2. (obsolete, intransitive, hunting) To release a new set of hounds. [15th–17th c.]
3. (transitive, now rare) To place (people or horses) in relays, such that one can take over from another. [from 18th c.]
4. (intransitive, now rare) To take on a new relay of horses; to change horses. [from 19th c.]

Synonyms

• (to relay a message): convey

Translations

Etymology 2

From re- +‎ lay.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɹiːˈleɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɹiˈleɪ/
• Rhymes: -iːleɪ
• Homophone: re-lay

Verb

relay (third-person singular simple present relays, present participle relaying, simple past and past participle relaid)

1. Alternative spelling of re-lay

Anagrams

• Arely, Arley, Early, Layer, Leary, Raley, Rayle, early, layer, leary