What does "relay" mean?
A new set of hounds.
Relay
/ˈɹiːleɪ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A new set of hounds.
- Grammar: relay is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adder, air race, alternator, analytical control unit.
- Useful contrasts: absorb, conceal, ignore.
- Usage evidence: A runner must pass the baton in a relay race.
How to use "relay"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "relay" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "relay" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "relay" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "relay" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "relay" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adder" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "relay", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A new set of hounds. rare
- 2 the act of passing something along from one person or group to another wordnet
- 3 A new set of horses kept along a specific route so that they can replace animals that are tired. historical
- 4 electrical device such that current flowing through it in one circuit can switch on and off a current in a second circuit wordnet
- 5 A new set of anything. broadly
"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 other delights of her Ogress's castle."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a race between teams; each member runs or swims part of the distance wordnet
- 7 A series of vehicles travelling in sequence.
- 8 a fresh team to relieve weary draft animals wordnet
- 9 A competition between teams where members of a team take turns completing parts of a course or performing a certain action.
- 10 a crew of workers who relieve another crew wordnet
- 11 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.
- 12 An electrical actuator that allows a relatively small electrical voltage or current to control a larger voltage or current.
Verb
- 1 To pass on or transfer (information). transitive
"The CCTV cameras relay what's going on to the headquarters."
- 2 Alternative spelling of re-lay. alt-of, alternative
"Over this section the 16th class are allowed to haul 800 tons, compared with 600 tons only by the 13th and 14th, and 450 tons by the 12th class engines, and in this way, without any expenditure on civil engineering works or relaying with heavier rails, the introduction of the 16th class has almost doubled the line capacity."
- 3 pass along wordnet
- 4 To release a new set of hounds. intransitive, obsolete
- 5 control or operate by relay wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To place (people or horses) in relays, such that one can take over from another. archaic, transitive
- 7 To take on a new relay of horses; to change horses. archaic, intransitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A runner must pass the baton in a relay race."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "relay"?
Common synonyms include: adder, air race, alternator, analytical control unit, analyzer, anchor watch.
How do you use "relay" in a sentence?
A runner must pass the baton in a relay race.
How do you pronounce "relay"?
Pronounced /ˈɹiːleɪ/.
Etymology
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.
Etymology 2
From re- + lay.