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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

A life-size bronze statue of California’s first Kentucky Derby winner was stolen last week from a road median in north Sacramento.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Elsewhere in his speech, Healey repeated his promises to re-industrialise the country and said Rolls Royce would invest £300m more into its British factories in Derby, Bristol, Glasgow and Rotherham.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

He has not been selected since being arrested then de-arrested on a night out in Derby in August.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

"He was wonderful. I loved him deeply, and I think I still kind of do a bit," says Overton, sitting on a sofa at her home in Derby.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Two days later, Gibaut had signed on to command a Derby ship, as soon as the survey was finished.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

Alongside Mourinho's post‑match claims, the match report published on Real's website said that the derby loss was decided because of "dreadful refereeing", external by Ortiz Arias.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Simeone described the derby as an intense match and praised his players' defensive organisation and collective effort against a Real Madrid side featuring several dangerous attacking players.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

"I think that derby will be remembered by City fans for a long time," Marr told BBC Sport.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Defending teams often clog the centre of the pitch, as City did in the derby, forcing the attacking side to the flank.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

The man in the derby hat was scolding the girl.

From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg

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

From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025

Griffey won three Home Run Derbies, and he spent Saturday in the dugout at the All-Star Futures Game rendering prospects speechless with his presence.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 18, 2022

Yakteen has never had a Kentucky Derby starter, but did assist Baffert for many Derbies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2022

Two of horses that have a good shot in Saturday’s Classic are Medina Spirit, conditional winner of the Kentucky Derby, and Hot Rod Charlie, winner of the Louisiana and Pennsylvania Derbies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2021

The time, 2:08½, was good when you consider the time made in previous Derbies.

From History of the Kentucky Derby, 1875-1921 by John Lawrence O'Connor