commutator vs relay

commutator

noun
  • An electrical switch, in a generator or motor, that periodically reverses the direction of an electric current. 

  • A binary map in a given group G, given by [g, h] = ghg⁻¹h⁻¹, where g and h are elements of G, which yields the group's identity if and only if the group operation commutes for g and h. 

  • A binary map in a given ring R, given by [a, b] = ab − ba, where a and b are elements of R, which yields the ring's zero element if and only if the multiplication operation commutes for a and b. 

relay

noun
  • An electrical actuator that allows a relatively small electrical voltage or current to control a larger voltage or current. 

  • A track and field discipline where runners take turns in carrying a baton from start to finish. Most common events are 4x100 meter and 4x400 meter competitions. 

  • A series of vehicles travelling in sequence. 

  • A new set of horses kept along a specific route so that they can replace animals that are tired. 

  • A new set of hounds. 

  • A new set of anything. 

verb
  • To pass on or transfer (information). 

How often have the words commutator and relay occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )