rugby

noun

rug·​by ˈrəg-bē How to pronounce rugby (audio)
often capitalized
: a football game in which play is continuous without time-outs or substitutions, interference and forward passing are not permitted, and kicking, dribbling, lateral passing, and tackling are featured

Examples of rugby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Staple had been playing in a rugby match for Lincoln RFC’s under-16 team the previous day. Tabitha Parent, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025 But there are still a host of showcase events from rugby and football to cycling and racing, to appeal to every sports fan. The Week Uk, theweek, 31 Dec. 2024 There are camping trips and team sports— wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, goalball, power soccer and sled hockey — as well as fitness classes, pickleball and rock climbing. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2024 There are now leagues in six other sports, from ice hockey and lacrosse to rugby and volleyball, and female athletes like Caitlin Clark, Alex Morgan, Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky are household names. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rugby 

Word History

Etymology

Rugby School, Rugby, England

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rugby was in 1864

Dictionary Entries Near rugby

Cite this Entry

“Rugby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rugby. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

rugby

noun
rug·​by ˈrəg-bē How to pronounce rugby (audio)
often capitalized
: a football game between two teams in which play is continuous and the team that has the ball may run with it, kick it, or pass it sideways or backward but is not allowed to block or make forward passes
Etymology

named for Rugby School in England where the game was first played

Geographical Definition

Rugby

geographical name

Rug·​by ˈrəg-bē How to pronounce Rugby (audio)
town on the Avon River in Warwickshire, central England population 71,000

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