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• Derby
  Derby

  noun

  a city in Derbyshire in central England.
• derby
  derby

  noun

  a stiff felt hat with a rounded crown and narrow curved brim

Derby

¹ American  

[dur-bee, dahr-bee] / ˈdɜr bi, ˈdɑr bi /

noun

1. a city in Derbyshire in central England.

2. Derbyshire.

3. a city in S Connecticut.

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Derby ² American  

[dur-bee, dahr-bee] / ˈdɜr bi, ˈdɑr bi /

noun

Derbies plural

1. a race for three-year-old horses that is run annually at Epsom Downs, near London, England: first run in 1780.

2. any of certain other important annual horse races, usually for three-year-old horses, especially the Kentucky Derby.

3. (lowercase) a race or contest, usually one open to all who wish to enter and offering a prize for the winner.

4. (lowercase) any endeavor or venture regarded as a competition.

   to win the gubernatorial derby.

5. Also called bowler.  (lowercase) a stiff felt hat with rounded crown and narrow brim, worn chiefly by men.

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Derby ¹ British  

/ ˈdɑːbɪ /

noun

1. a city in central England, in Derby unitary authority, Derbyshire: engineering industries (esp aircraft engines and railway rolling stock); university (1991). Pop: 229 407 (2001)

2. a unitary authority in central England, in Derbyshire. Pop: 233 200 (2003 est). Area: 78 sq km (30 sq miles)

3. a firm-textured pale-coloured type of cheese

4. a green-and-white Derby cheese flavoured with sage

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Derby ² British  

/ ˈdɜːrbɪ, ˈdɑːbɪ /

noun

1. an annual horse race run at Epsom Downs, Surrey, since 1780: one of the English flat-racing classics

2. any of various other horse races

3. a football match between two teams from the same area

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Derby ³ British  

/ ˈdɑːbɪ /

noun

1. Earl of. title of Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley. 1799–1869, British statesman; Conservative prime minister (1852; 1858–59; 1866–68)

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derby ⁴ British  

/ ˈdɜːrbɪ /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): bowler.  a stiff felt hat with a rounded crown and narrow curved brim

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Etymology

Origin of Derby

First recorded in 1830–40; after Edward Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby (died 1834), who instituted the race

Explanation

A derby is a type of hat that's round, felt, stiff, and has a narrow brim. Wear one with a little mustache and a cane, and you’ll look just like Charlie Chaplin. A derby, as the distinctive round hat with a little brim, was made in the U.S. in the 1850s, but it’s probably named after the Derby horse race in England, where men wore this kind of hat. The race was named after the 12th Earl of Derby. A derby can also be called a bowler, bowler hat, derby hat, or plug hat. Derbies are kind of old-fashioned, so you probably won't see anyone wearing one these days.

Example Sentences

She made the comment while answering questions alongside co-star Sam Heughan for the website Gold Derby, who have now apologised for an "editing error".

From BBC • May 23, 2026

This is the first meeting in a play-off final between teams who finished fifth and sixth since Aston Villa beat Derby County in 2019.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

They played to the paparazzi, vamping at high-profile events including the Kentucky Derby and the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner, and hammed it up in “caught off-guard” moments at the supermarket or over lunch.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Cherie DeVaux, the first woman to train a Derby winner, said the schedule was too tight for Golden Tempo, with two weeks between races.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026

Billy and Lazzaro and Derby didn’t have to ask what the line meant.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut