/ˈɹiːleɪ/, /ɹiˈleɪ/, /ˈɹiːleɪ/
OriginFrom 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.
- rareA new set of hounds.
- historicalA new set of horses kept along a specific route so that they can replace animals that are tired.
- broadlyA new set of anything.
“There is a snaky gleam in her hard grey eye, as of anticipated rounds of buttered toast, relays of hot chops, worryings and quellings of young children, sharp snappings at poor Berry, and all the othe”
- A series of vehicles travelling in sequence.
- A competition between teams where members of a team take turns completing parts of a course or performing a certain action.
- 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.
- An electrical actuator that allows a relatively small electrical voltage or current to control a larger voltage or current.
- transitiveTo pass on or transfer (information).
“The CCTV cameras relay what's going on to the headquarters.”
“Can you relay this message to John?”
- intransitive, obsoleteTo release a new set of hounds.
- archaic, transitiveTo place (people or horses) in relays, such that one can take over from another.
- archaic, intransitiveTo take on a new relay of horses; to change horses.
Formsrelays(plural) · relays(present, singular, third-person) · relaying(participle, present) · relayed(participle, past) · relayed(past)