courier
nounfeminine/iʃtɐˈfetɐ/low
es·ta·fe·ta
Definitions
1A messenger, especially one who carries urgent or official correspondence, traditionally on horseback or swiftly.
The courier delivered the message to the king before dawn.
They hired a courier to take the document to the neighbouring town.
Common collocations
royal courierhorse couriercourier service
2A track and field event run by teams, in which each athlete covers a section of the course and passes a baton to the next.
The Portuguese team won the 4x100 metres relay.
He ran the last leg of the relay.
syn
Common collocations
4x100 relayrelay racerelay baton
Etymology
Do italiano 'staffetta', de 'staffe' (estribo), originalmente referindo-se a um sistema de correio a cavalo onde o cavaleiro passava a mensagem sem desmontar.