Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
905,598,874 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

relay

   Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
re·lay  (rl)
n.
1. An act of passing something along from one person, group, or station to another.
2. Sports
a. A relay race.
b. A division of a relay race.
3. Electronics A device that responds to a small current or voltage change by activating switches or other devices in an electric circuit.
4. A crew of workers who relieve another crew; a shift.
5. A fresh team, as of horses or dogs, to relieve weary animals in a hunt, task, or journey.
tr.v. (rl, r-l) re·layed, re·lay·ing, re·lays
1. To pass along by or as if by relay: relayed the message to his boss.
2. To supply with fresh relays.
3. Electronics To control or retransmit by means of a relay.

[Middle English relai, fresh team of dogs for a hunt, from Old French, from relaier, to relay : re-, re- + laier, to leave (of Germanic origin; see leip- in Indo-European roots).]

relay
Noun
1. a fresh set of people or animals relieving others
2. short for relay race
3. an automatic device that controls a valve or switch, esp. one in which a small change in current or voltage controls the switching on or off of circuits
4. Radio a combination of a receiver and transmitter designed to receive radio signals and retransmit them
Verb
1. to pass on (a message)
2. to retransmit (a signal) by means of a relay
3. Brit to broadcast (a performance or event) as it happens [Old French relaier to leave behind]

relay  (rl)
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.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.relayrelay - the act of passing something along from one person or group to another; "the relay was successful"
handing over, passage - the act of passing something to another person
2.relay - a crew of workers who relieve another crew
shift - a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time
3.relay - a fresh team to relieve weary draft animals
team - two or more draft animals that work together to pull something
4.relayrelay - a race between teams; each member runs or swims part of the distance
race - a contest of speed; "the race is to the swift"
torch race - (ancient Greece) in which a torch is passed from one runner to the next
5.relay - electrical device such that current flowing through it in one circuit can switch on and off a current in a second circuit
circuit, electric circuit, electrical circuit - an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow
electrical device - a device that produces or is powered by electricity
electromagnet - a temporary magnet made by coiling wire around an iron core; when current flows in the coil the iron becomes a magnet
Verb1.relay - pass along; "Please relay the news to the villagers"
communicate, pass along, put across, pass on, pass - transmit information ; "Please communicate this message to all employees"; "pass along the good news"
2.relay - control or operate by relay
control, operate - handle and cause to function; "do not operate machinery after imbibing alcohol"; "control the lever"

relay
Translations
Spanish relay n [ˈriːleɪ] (race) → carrera de relevos
vt [rɪˈleɪ] (RADIO, TV), (= pass on); retransmitir

French relay [ˈriːleɪ] n (Sport) → course f de relais
vt [+ message] → retransmettre, relayer

German relay [ˈriːleɪ] n (race) → Staffel f, Staffellauf m
vt (message etc) → übermitteln;
(broadcast) → übertragen

Italian relay [ˈriːleɪ] n (SPORT) → corsa a staffetta
vt [+ message] → trasmettere

?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Among them were grooms leading the Tsar's beautiful relay horses covered with embroidered cloths.
Joan and Sheldon, both armed, went through the barracks, house by house, the boss-boys assisting, and half a dozen messengers, in relay, shouting along the line the names of the boys wanted.
And had he been right in this conjecture, he most probably would have overtaken his angel at the aforesaid place; but unluckily my lord had appointed a dinner to be prepared for him at his own house in London, and, in order to enable him to reach that place in proper time, he had ordered a relay of horses to meet him at St Albans.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.