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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
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
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Word History
Etymology
Rugby School, Rugby, England
First Known Use
1864, in the meaning defined above
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
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
town on the Avon River in Warwickshire, central England population 71,000
More from Merriam-Webster on rugby
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rugby
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