rugby

play

noun, often capitalized rug·by \ ˈrəg-bē \

Definition of rugby

:a football game in which play is continuous without time-outs or substitutions, interference and forward passing are not permitted, and kicking, dribbling, lateral passing, and tackling are featured

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Recent Examples of rugby from the Web

Joined the team after winning three consecutive national championships with BYU's rugby team.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "Your guide to scout LSU's first opponent BYU in the Cougars' season opener today on ESPN," 26 Aug. 2017
Colin Meads, one of New Zealand’s greatest and most revered rugby players, died on Sunday in Te Kuiti, New Zealand, his hometown.

— huw richards, New York Times, "Colin Meads, Revered New Zealand Rugby Star, Dies at 81," 22 Aug. 2017
On the significance of one particular design: RF: The quarter-zip rugby is a personal favorite.

— jonathan evans, Esquire, "Why the Kith x Coca-Cola Collaboration Is a Summer Style No-Brainer," 11 Aug. 2017
Rugby punting adds a different dimension to special teams, Mele says.

— stefanie loh, The Seattle Times, "How WSU discovered Kyle Sweet’s secret punting skills and Jamire Calvin’s elusive return ability," 8 Aug. 2017
More traditional sports such as baseball, softball and rugby are included.

— cheryl wray, AL.com, "World Games begin in Europe, as Birmingham eyes 2021 arrival," 21 July 2017
Sean Pickett, a lawyer who’s part of the redevelopment team, said plans call for indoor basketball, volleyball and soccer courts and two outdoor soccer/rugby/football fields.

— diane stafford, kansascity, "Former Kansas City middle school to become a recreation center," 18 July 2017
Cheshire Rugby Club: The club is hosting the second annual Constitution League youth rugby tournament Saturday at Quinnipiac Recreation Area in Cheshire (1325 Cheshire Street).

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Regional Digest: Weaver's Jaecee Martin Commits To Sacred Heart," 17 July 2017
So far: rugby and GAA jerseys, socks, bodhrán, hurley, framed Yeates poem... pic.twitter.com/opzGaWZzmX — Kevin Doyle (@KevDoyle_Indo) July 4, 2017 And Got in on the Joke Poor guy indeed, but handsome.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "You're Going to Be Obsessed with Justin Trudeau's Super Exhausted Personal Assistant," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rugby.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rugby

Rugby School, Rugby, England

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First Known Use: 1864

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Rugby

play

geographical name Rug·by \ ˈrəg-bē \

Definition of Rugby

town on the Avon River in Warwickshire, central England population 71,000

RUGBY Defined for English Language Learners

rugby

play

noun

Definition of rugby for English Language Learners

: a game played by two teams in which each team tries to carry or kick a ball over the other team's goal line

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rugby

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