Relay definition: a series of persons relieving one another or taking turns; shift.. See examples of RELAY used in a sentence. When an electrical current runs through the coil, a magnetic field is created that activates the contacts, allowing them to open or close the circuits. Relays are frequently employed in automotive applications, industrial automation, and control systems to control high-power or high-voltage devices with a lower-power signal. How to Test a Relay? A relay is an electrically operated switch. It has a set of input terminals for one or more control signals, and a set of operating contact terminals. The switch may have any number of contacts in multiple contact forms, such as make contacts, break contacts, or combinations thereof. RELAY meaning: 1. to repeat something you have heard, or to broadcast a signal, message, or programme on…. Learn more.