derby

noun

der·​by ˈdər-bē 

 especially British  ˈdä-

plural derbies

1

: any of several horse races held annually and usually restricted to three-year-olds

2

: a race or contest open to all comers or to a specified category of contestants

a bicycle derby

3

British : a game between local sports teams

… even when both clubs were going through trophy droughts, the derby was still treated like a European Cup final by the fans.

—The Manchester (England) Evening News

4

: a stiff felt hat with dome-shaped crown and narrow brim

Illustration of derby

• derby 4

Examples of derby in a Sentence

a derby between Manchester United and Manchester City

Recent Examples on the Web

Wednesday’s Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid will be another test of Liverpool’s defensive strength, with the Merseyside derby on the horizon this weekend. —Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

Drennan, 43, grew up helping his brothers and uncles build derby cars and later competed in a few derbies himself. —Sean Clancy, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025

Find Haberdasher’s simple derby-and-tie logo hanging on San Salvador Street, then the low-key front door leading downstairs to cocktail nirvana. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025

That’s how Fifth Season co-CEOs Chris Rice and Graham Taylor described waking up in July to the news that the company’s Apple TV+ drama was top of the leaderboard in this year’s Emmy Awards derby. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Edward Stanley †1834, 12th earl of Derby

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing derby

• demolition derby

Rhymes for derby

• kirby

Kids Definition

derby

noun

der·​by ˈdər-bē 

 especially British  ˈdär-

plural derbies

1

: a horse race usually for three-year-olds held annually

2

: a race or contest open to all comers

a fishing derby

3

: a stiff felt hat with dome-shaped top and narrow brim

Etymology

named for Edward Stanley, 12th earl of Derby (a county and town in England)

Word Origin

The first horse race called a Derby was named after an English nobleman named Edward Stanley, the Earl of Derby (1752–1834). The Earl instituted the race in 1780, and it continues to be run to the present day on the first Wednesday in June at Epsom Downs, a racetrack south of London. The name Derby has become attached to other races usually restricted to three-year-old horses, such as the Kentucky Derby. It is used as well of races that have nothing to do with horses, such as the Pinewood Derby run by the Cub Scouts. In the 1800s derby was also the name given in the U.S. to a dome-shaped hat called a bowler in England. The reason why the hat was given this name is uncertain, and nothing seems to link it with horse races.

Geographical Definition

Derby

geographical name

Der·​by ˈdär-bē 

 chiefly U.S.  ˈdər-

city on the Derwent River in Derbyshire, north central England population 252,000