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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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Derbies
  plural

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

See Examples For:

Derby derby Derbies

Pace bowler Carse was briefly placed under arrest on a night out with his Durham team-mates in Derby at the weekend.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Images that appeared on social media on Sunday showed Carse, 31, in handcuffs outside a bar in Derby on Saturday night.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Following that win, Carse was filmed in handcuffs outside a bar in Derby.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Seeking its first victory in a competitive match in three months and three days, the Galaxy hosted the San José Earthquakes on Wednesday in the latest edition of the California Derby.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

The colonel said that the other Americans had all shaved now, that Billy and Derby were the only two still with beards.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Held at the 1971 crab derby in Crisfield, Md., it drew less attention than sailboat races, greased pig contests and the crowning of Miss Crustacean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

San Francisco’s housing market was already a demolition derby for renters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

“It’s Trey’s day,” Dino said, reminiscing on his youngest son’s Little League days, his home run derby victory in Williamsport, Pa., his growth through travel ball and high school.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

There will be a Dundee derby at Dens Park during the third round of fixtures, while Edinburgh rivals Hibs and Hearts will go head-to-head at Easter Road on Wednesday, 2 September.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

The water was standing in the curved brim of his derby hat and his collar was wet and sagging.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

"Derbies, you have to win, it does not matter how," said captain Granit Xhaka to Sky Sports.

From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025

Track officials were hoping to avoid the distractions that came with the last few Derbies and for the most part were successful.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2024

Yakteen has been to plenty of Derbies but this is only his second as the head trainer.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2023

In other words, stalkers such as Messier win far more than their share of Kentucky Derbies.

From Washington Post ● May 5, 2022

"Rumor credits Dr. Holmes," so "The Field" says, "with desiring mentally to compare his two Derbies with each other."

From Our Hundred Days in Europe by Oliver Wendell Holmes