darby

[ dahr-bee ]

/ ˈdɑr bi /

noun, plural dar·bies. Building Trades.

a float having two handles, used by plasterers.

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Origin of darby

1565–75; perhaps after a proper name or Derby, England

Words nearby darby

dapsone, dar, dar es salaam, daraf, darbies, darby, darby and joan, darby and joan settee, darbyite, darcy, darcy's law

Definition for darby (2 of 3)

Darby

[ dahr-bee ]

/ ˈdɑr bi /

noun

a city in SE Pennsylvania.

Definition for darby (3 of 3)

darbies

[ dahr-beez ]

/ ˈdɑr biz /

plural noun British Slang.

handcuffs; manacles.

Origin of darbies

First recorded in 1565–75; probably from the phrase Darby's bonds a rigid bond, perhaps named after a noted 16th-century usurer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for darby

Alex Gaurnaschelli is the executive chef of Butter Restaurant and The Darby.
Fresh Picks|Alex Guarnaschelli|September 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I talked to [his then-wife] Darby, who said I needed to give this all over to a Higher Power.
The 10 Biggest Scoops From Karl Rove's Memoir|The Daily Beast|March 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Darby McCormick is one of the best heroines in thriller fiction: smart, resourceful and tough as nails.
Thriller Night|David J. Montgomery|August 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The book that introduced Darby, The Missing, is currently the only one available from an American publisher.
Thriller Night|David J. Montgomery|August 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST

They discovered that my middle name was Derby, and they christened me "Darby the Yank."
A Yankee in the Trenches|R. Derby Holmes
She instructed Darby and Joan for an hour each morning in the mysteries of reading, writing, and counting.
Two Little Travellers|Frances Browne Arthur
One was half full of soft, sweet-smelling hay for Darby and Joan to sleep upon.
When Grandmamma Was New|Marion Harland
The sounders were clicking monotonously when the trick man turned to the relief operator who was checking Darby's transfer sheet.
Empire Builders|Francis Lynde
Only Darby is to be in an office all day, and in Parliament all night,—and Joan is to stay at home.
The Prime Minister|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for darby (1 of 2)

Darby

/ (ˈdɑːbɪ) /

noun

Abraham. 1677–1717, British iron manufacturer: built the first coke-fired blast furnace (1709)

British Dictionary definitions for darby (2 of 2)

darbies

/ (ˈdɑːbɪz) /

pl n

British short for handcuffsSee handcuff

Word Origin for darbies

C16: perhaps from the phrase Father Derby's or Father Darby's bonds, a rigid agreement between a usurer and his client

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012