Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for Rugby. Search instead for rugby's.
Synonyms

Rugby

American  
[ruhg-bee] / ˈrʌg bi /

noun

  1. Also called rugger.  Also called Rugby football.  Usually rugby a form of football, played between two teams of 15 members each, that differs from soccer in freedom to carry the ball, block with the hands and arms, and tackle, and is characterized chiefly by continuous action and prohibition against the use of substitute players.

  2. a town in Warwickshire, in central England.

  3. a coeducational preparatory school in Rugby, England, founded in 1567.

rugby 1 British  
/ ˈrʌɡbɪ /

noun

  1. Also called: rugger.  a form of football played with an oval ball in which the handling and carrying of the ball is permitted

  2. another name for Canadian football

"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
Rugby 2 British  
/ ˈrʌɡbɪ /

noun

  1. a town in central England, in E Warwickshire: famous public school, founded in 1567. Pop: 61 988 (2001)

"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

Etymology

Origin of Rugby

Probably earlier than 1835–40 Rugby for def. 1; Middle English Rokeby, Rookby, Old English Rocheberie, possibly earlier Hrōcaburg, Hrōceburh (unrecorded) “Hroca's fort,” influenced by Old Norse býr “town, settlement”; borough ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does rugby compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Interestingly, Prem Rugby revealed last week that the power of floodlights would be one of the criteria that clubs need to meet on a more extensive checklist for the league's franchise-style future.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

At the Women's Rugby World Cup in August, England were cut apart by those sharpened skills.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

On the back of a Prem Rugby Cup win and seven wins in their last eight Prem games, last year's runners-up are rolling impressively.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Centre Meg Jones will take over the England captaincy after Zoe Stratford, who led the Red Roses to Rugby World Cup glory in September, announced she is expecting her first child in September.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Rugby season started in November, so playing on the team was a year-round commitment since it didn’t end until May.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.