rugby
pronunciation
How to pronounce rugby in British English:
UK [ˈrʌɡbi]
How to pronounce rugby in American English:
US [ˈrʌɡbi]
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- Noun:
- a form of football played with an oval ball
Word Origin
- rugby
- rugby: [19] Legend has it that the game of rugby football was born at Rugby School in Warwickshire in 1823 when, during an ordinary game of football, a boy called William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it. The use of the term rugby for the game is not recorded before 1864, and the public-school slang version rugger dates from the 1890s.
- rugby (n.)
- type of football, 1864, after Rugby, public school where the game was played, from city of Rugby in Warwickshire, central England. The place name is Rocheberie (1086), probably "fortified place of a man called *Hroca;" with second element from Old English burh (dative byrig), replaced by 13c. with Old Norse -by "village" due to the influence of Danish settlers. Otherwise it might be *Rockbury today. Or first element perhaps is Old English hroc "rook." Rugby Union formed 1871. Slang rugger for "rugby" is from 1893.
Example
- 1. Others like sports like basketball or soccer or rugby .
- 2. They hope to host concerts and cricket and rugby matches .
- 3. This is a different game to trade rugby .
- 4. The notion of olympic rugby has certainly piqued the interest of television executives .
- 5. That south african world cup rugby glow gave way to everyday reality .