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 His father, Chris Biller Sr., starred on the USA national rugby team in the early-2010s. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Athletes can vie for gold in alpine skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, Nordic skiing, skeleton, and wheelchair curling, in addition to the core Invictus sports of indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 The 10 Best New Movies on Netflix in 2023 Society of the Snow (2024) The Society of the Snow vividly recaptures a Uruguayan rugby team that crashes its plane atop the Andes in the early 1970s. Travis Bean, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Although a handful of other events in archery, team handball, soccer and rugby will follow the next day, the Games don't formally begin until the opening ceremony, which is slated for July 26. Tom Schad, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Ceremonies with mushrooms, LSD, ayahuasca and toad Former US rugby player Anna Symonds says she was diagnosed with TBI about 10 years ago and has to take several different hormones that her body – notably her pituitary gland – is not making as a result of the head injuries. Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024 Rassie Erasmus, director of rugby for South Africa, is recovering in a hospital after a freak accident resulted in chemical burns. Joe Morgan, Fox News, 27 Jan. 2024 This year, athletes from around the world will descend upon Paris to compete in more than 300 events, ranging from surfing to road cycling to rugby. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2024 It is famed for a love of singing and a passion for rugby. Stephen Castle, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rugby.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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