relay

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An act of passing something along from one person, group, or station to another.
2. n. Sports A relay race.
3. n. Sports A division of a relay race.
4. n. Electronics A device that responds to a small current or voltage change by activating switches or other devices in an electric circuit.
5. n. A crew of workers who relieve another crew; a shift.
6. n. A fresh team, as of horses or dogs, to relieve weary animals in a hunt, task, or journey.
7. v. To pass along by or as if by relay: relayed the message to his boss.
8. v. To supply with fresh relays.
9. v. Electronics To control or retransmit by means of a relay.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A fresh supply, especially of animals to be substituted for others; specifically, a fresh set of dogs or horses, in hunting, held in readiness to be cast off or to remount the hunters should occasion require, or a relief supply of horses held in readiness for the convenience of travelers.
2. n. A squad of men to take a spell or turn of work at stated intervals: a shift.
3. n. Generally, a supply of anything laid up or kept in store for relief or fresh supply from time to time.
4. n. An instrument, consisting principally of an electromagnet with the armature delicately adjusted for a slight motion about an axis, and with contact-points so arranged that the movement of the armature in obedience to the signals transmitted over the line puts a battery, known as the local battery, into or out of a short local circuit in which is the recording or receiving apparatus. Also called relaymagnet.
5. To lay again; lay a second time: as, to relay a pavement.
6. n. In telegraphy, the circuit operated by a relay.
7. To transmit by means of a telegraphic or telephonic relay; make use of a relay.

Wiktionary

1. v. alternative spelling of re-lay.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To lay again; to lay a second time.
2. n. A supply of anything arranged beforehand for affording relief from time to time, or at successive stages; provision for successive relief.
3. n. A supply of horses placced at stations to be in readiness to relieve others, so that a trveler may proceed without delay.
4. n. A supply of hunting dogs or horses kept in readiness at certain places to relive the tired dogs or horses, and to continue the pursuit of the game if it comes that way.
5. n. A number of men who relieve others in carrying on some work.
6. n. (Elec.) In various forms of telegraphic apparatus, a magnet which receives the circuit current, and is caused by it to bring into into action the power of a local battery for performing the work of making the record; also, a similar device by which the current in one circuit is made to open or close another circuit in which a current is passing.
7. adj. (Mach.) Relating to, or having the characteristics of, an auxiliary apparatus put into action by a feeble force but itself capable of exerting greater force, used to control a comparatively powerful machine or appliance.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. control or operate by relay
2. v. pass along
3. n. a crew of workers who relieve another crew
4. n. a race between teams; each member runs or swims part of the distance
5. n. electrical device such that current flowing through it in one circuit can switch on and off a current in a second circuit
6. n. the act of passing something along from one person or group to another
7. n. a fresh team to relieve weary draft animals