noun
rugby
RUHG-bee
noun
1
A team sport played with an oval ball that can be carried, passed, or kicked, but not thrown forward.
"They watched the rugby match on Saturday afternoon."
How to Use Rugby
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA physical contact sport similar to American football, popular in the UK, Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth.
Common pairings
play rugby
rugby team
rugby match
Word Forms
rugbied past tense, rugbys plural, rugbies singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “rugby”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
They watched the _____ match on Saturday afternoon.
Etymology
Named after Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, where the game is said to have originated in the 19th century.