Definitions for rugby
ˈrʌg birug·by

Princeton's WordNet(4.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. rugby, rugby football, ruggernoun

   a form of football played with an oval ball

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. rugbynoun

   A sport where players can hold or kick an ovoid ball. The ball cannot be handled forwards and points are scored by touching the ball to the ground in the area past their opponent's territory or kicking the ball between goalposts and over a crossbar.

   The scrum is a distinctive element of rugby.

   Etymology: 1823: Named after Rugby School in Warwickshire where William Webb Ellis ‘with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game’. From the plaque at the school.

2. Rugbynoun

   A town in Warwickshire, where the sport of rugby is thought to have originated

   Etymology: 1823: Named after Rugby School in Warwickshire where William Webb Ellis ‘with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game’. From the plaque at the school.

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Rugby

   Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county. The enclosing Borough of Rugby has a population of 91,600. Rugby is 13 miles east of Coventry, on the eastern edge of Warwickshire, near the borders with Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. The town is credited with being the birthplace of rugby football.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Rugby

   rug′bi, n. the game of football according to the rules of the Rugby Football Union (1871), the sides numbering 15 each, played on ground 110 by 75 yards.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Rugby

   a town in Warwickshire, at the junction of the Swift and the Avon, 83 m. NW. of London; an important railway centre and seat of a famous public school founded in 1567, of which Dr. Arnold (q. v.), and Archbishops Tait and Temple were famous head-masters, is one of the first public schools in England, and scholars number about 450.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. rugby

   A type of sport.

   Rugby is a popular sport and played all over the world.

   Submitted by MaryC on April 6, 2020  

Etymology and Origins(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Rugby

   A corruption of the Saxon Rothby, “red village,” in allusion to its soil.

Matched Categories

1. • Football

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'rugby' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3488

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'rugby' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3243

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'rugby' in Nouns Frequency: #1438

How to pronounce rugby?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say rugby in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of rugby in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of rugby in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of rugby in a Sentence

1. Agustin Creevy:

   This is something historic, that there should be a professional Argentine team in a tournament like this where the best rugby in the world is played, i have no doubt that with Los Jaguares in Super Rugby, the sport will become even more popular (in Argentina) and ... interest more people and potential players.

2. Kory Puderbaugh:

   My childhood was a rollercoaster, and consistency was sometimes lacking, later on, I had two host families who fed me, clothed me and gave me opportunities to excel at rugby, wrestling, chess -- whatever I wanted to do. They took me in as one of their own.

3. Mike Friday:

   The Olympics captures the imagination of the sporting public in America. If rugby can position itself and we can do well as an Olympic sport, then all of a sudden it will hit the eyes of so many more Americans.

4. Eric Fry:

   The Rugby World Cup is the third biggest sporting event in the world and it will be the largest sporting event in England next year, some of the best teams in the world will be playing at St. James' Park, including New Zealand -- the current world champions.

5. Mike Friday:

   The big thing in America is, if you can't be an NFL player, an NBA play or a baseball player, (but) you can be an Olympian, then that's the next best thing, the Olympics captures the imagination of the sporting public in America. If rugby can position itself and we can do well as an Olympic sport, then all of a sudden it will hit the eyes of so many more Americans.

Popularity rank by frequency of use