# relay

/ˈɹiˌɫeɪ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/relay
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. team race

noun · CEFR B1

a race between teams where each member runs or swims part of the distance.

For teachers: a race between teams in which each member completes a specified portion of the course before being succeeded by a teammate.

- Our team won the four-by-one-hundred-meter relay after a perfect baton pass.
- The national team set a new world record in the mixed medley relay, largely due to an exceptional final leg by their lead swimmer.

### 2. electrical switch

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

an electrical device that uses a small current to turn a larger one on or off.

For teachers: an electromagnetic or electronic switch that allows a low-power signal to control a higher-power circuit.

- The clicking sound you hear is the relay turning on the car's headlights.
- The engineer replaced the faulty mechanical relay with a solid-state version to improve the system's switching speed and reliability.

### 3. to pass on information

verb · CEFR B2

to receive a message or information and pass it to someone else.

For teachers: to receive and pass on information, signals, or messages. Transitive — requires an object.

- Please relay this message to the manager as soon as she returns.
- Satellite stations relay television signals across the globe, allowing for near-instantaneous live broadcasts of international events.

### 4. fresh horses or workers

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a fresh group of people or animals that take over a job from a tired group.

For teachers: a fresh set of horses or people arranged to relieve others at specific intervals. Historically associated with postal or carriage routes.

- The riders changed their tired horses for a fresh relay at the station.
- The efficiency of the imperial postal system relied on a series of relays positioned every ten miles along the main road.

## Examples

- She ran the final leg of the 400-meter relay.
- The team practiced passing the baton smoothly to ensure they didn't lose time during the relay.
- In modern telecommunications, a relay acts as a critical junction that receives a signal and retransmits it at a higher power to cover greater distances.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.