darby

[ dahr-bee ]

/ ˈdɑr bi /

noun, plural dar·bies. Building Trades.

a float having two handles, used by plasterers.

Nearby words

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

Origin of darby

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

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. 2019

Examples 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