rugby

See also: Rugby

English

WOTD – 23 January 2022

A game of rugby (sense 1.2) being played between King’s College London and University College London in 2014.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɹʌɡbi/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /ˈɹʊɡbi/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈɾʌɡbe/, /-bɪ/, /-bi/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈɾʌɡbi/
• Hyphenation: rug‧by

Etymology 1

From the name of Rugby School in Rugby, in Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom, where the modern game was developed in the 19th century. The place name Rugby is attested in the Domesday Book as Old English Rocheberie (probably equivalent to rook (“Corvus frugilegus, a bird of the crow family”) +‎ -by (suffix indicating a village or town)), possibly from *Hrōcebyriġ, dative singular of *Hrōceburh, from hrōc (“rook”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“to crow”)) + burh, burg (“castle, fort, stronghold; city; town”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“hill, mountain; high, lofty; to rise”)).

Noun

rugby (countable and uncountable, plural rugbies)

1. (usually uncountable, sports)
   1. A form of football in which players can hold or kick an ovoid ball; rugby football. The ball cannot be handled forwards and points are scored by touching the ball to the ground in the area past the opponent's territory or by kicking the ball between goalposts and over a crossbar.

      Synonym: rugger

      The scrum is a distinctive element of rugby.

      The two rugbies split following a debate about amateurism.

   2. (specifically) The form of the game known as rugby union (see the usage note).
2. (countable) Ellipsis of rugby shirt (“a shirt of the kind worn by rugby players, usually short-sleeved and with a buttoned opening at the neck like a polo shirt, but with a stiffer collar”).
   • 2003, B. Lawson Thornton, Misery Loves Company: The Diary of Kerri Mitchell, East River Press, →ISBN:

     I don't know why, but for some reason people who work undercover for department store security always wear rugbies and khakis.

   • 2007, Adam Mansbach, Angry Black White Boy: […], Crown, →ISBN, page 69:

     Jansports and cargo pants were everywhere, set off with overstated polos, rugbies, and sweatshirts blaring the logos of hip hop designers.

   • 2015, Tony Jackson, From the Streets to the Sheets, Page Publishing, →ISBN:

     I bought three jogging suits, a pair of Polo sneakers, and two rugbies.

Usage notes

The word rugby when used without any modifying word is commonly used to refer specifically to the game of rugby union – for example, the Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament. Referring to rugby league simply as rugby is less common, except in countries where that is the predominant version of rugby football played.

A major difference between rugby and football (association football or soccer) is that in the latter sport players apart from the goalkeeper are not permitted to handle the ball.

Alternative forms

• Rugby (archaic)

Hyponyms

• American rules rugby, Harvard rules football (obsolete) (evolved into American football)
• Canadian rules rugby (obsolete) (evolved into Canadian football)
• rugby league, league
• rugby union, RU, union
• rugby sevens, rugby 7s
• rugby tens, rugby 10s, ten-a-side rugby, 10-a-side rugby, ten-a-side, 10-a-side
• rugby fifteens, rugby 15s

Derived terms

• chesterfield rugby
• flag rugby
• mini rugby
• nonrugby
• quad rugby
• rippa rugby
• rugby ball
• rugby boot
• rugbyesque
• rugby fives
• rugby football
• rugby footballer
• rugby head
• rugbyist
• rugby league
• rugbylike
• rugby pass
• rugby player
• rugby sevens
• rugby shirt
• rugby tackle
• rugby union
• rugger
• tag rugby
• touch rugby
• underwater rugby
• wheelchair rugby

Descendants

• → Afrikaans: rugby
• → Catalan: rugbi
• → Cebuano: rugby, ragbi
• → Czech: rugby, ragby
• → Danish: rugby
• → Dutch: rugby
• → French: rugby (see there for further descendants)
• → German: Rugby
• → Hindi: रग्बी (ragbī)
• → Irish: rugbaí
• → Italian: rugby
• → Japanese: ラグビー (ragubī)
• → Korean: 럭비 (reokbi)
• → Lithuanian: règbis
• → Malay: ragbi
• → Portuguese: rugby
• → Russian: регби (regbi)
• → Serbo-Croatian: rȁgbi, ра̏гби
• → Spanish: rugby
• → Thai: รักบี้ (rák-bîi)
• → Welsh: rygbi

Translations

form of football in which players can hold or kick an ovoid ball

• Afrikaans: rugby (af)
• Arabic: رَغْبِي m (raḡbī), رَجْبِي m (rajbī), رَكْبِي m (rakbī)
• Armenian: ռեգբի (hy) (ṙegbi)
• Asturian: rugbi m
• Azerbaijani: reqbi
• Basque: errugbi
• Belarusian: рэ́гбі n (réhbi)
• Bulgarian: ръ́гби n (rǎ́gbi)
• Catalan: rugbi (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 橄欖球 / 橄榄球 (zh) (gǎnlǎnqiú)

• Czech: rugby n, ragby (cs) n
• Dutch: rugby (nl) n
• Esperanto: rugbeo (eo)
• Estonian: ragbi
• Finnish: rugby (fi)
• French: rugby (fr) m
• Galician: rugby (gl) m
• Georgian: რაგბი (ragbi)
• German: Rugby (de) n
• Greek: ράγκμπι (el) (rágkmpi)
• Hebrew: רוגבי
• Hindi: रग्बी (ragbī)
• Hungarian: rögbi (hu)
• Irish: rugbaí m
• Italian: rugby (it) m
• Japanese: ラグビー (ja) (ragubī), 闘球 (ja) (とうきゅう, tōkyū, literally “fighting ball”) (rare)
• Korean: 럭비 (ko) (reokbi)
• Latvian: regbijs m
• Lithuanian: règbis m
• Macedonian: рагби n (ragbi)
• Malay: ragbi
• Manx: ruggyr m
• Māori: rakapi, rakapī, whutupaoro, whutupōro
• Occitan: rugbi (oc) m
• Persian: راگبی (fa) (râgbi)
• Polish: rugby (pl) n
• Portuguese: rugby (pt) m, râguebi (pt) m (Portugal), rúgbi (pt) m (Brazil)
• Romanian: rugby (ro) n, rugbi (ro) n
• Russian: ре́гби (ru) n (régbi)
• Samoan: lakapi
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ра̏гби m

  Latin: rȁgbi (sh) m, rugby m

• Slovak: ragby (sk) n
• Slovene: ragbi m
• Sotho: rakebi
• Spanish: rugby (es) m, rugbi (es) m
• Swahili: raga (sw), gori (sw), naga (sw)
• Tamil: ரக்பி (rakpi)
• Thai: รักบี้ (rák-bîi)
• Tongan: aka pulu
• Turkish: ragbi (tr)
• Ukrainian: ре́гбі n (réhbi)
• Urdu: رگبی (ragbī)
• Vietnamese: bóng bầu dục (vi)
• Welsh: rygbi (cy) m

form of the game known as rugby union — see rugby union

ellipsis of rugby shirt — see rugby shirt

Verb

rugby (third-person singular simple present rugbies, present participle rugbying, simple past and past participle rugbied)

1. (intransitive) To play rugby.

Translations

to play rugby

• Dutch: rugbyen (nl)

See also

• American football
• association football
• Canadian football
• football
• rugby football
• Category:en:Rugby

Etymology 2

Genericized trademark from Rugby, a brand of rubber cement by Bostik.

Noun

rugby (plural rugbys)

1. (Philippines) Rubber cement, contact cement; commonly associated with solvent abuse, as it is often used as an inhalant.

Derived terms

• rugby boy

Further reading

• rugby football on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• rugby league on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• rugby union on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• rugby (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Afrikaans

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English rugby.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

rugby (uncountable)

1. (sports) rugby

Cebuano

Alternative forms

• ragbi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɾaɡbi/ [ˈɾ̪aɡ.bɪ]
• Hyphenation: rug‧by

Etymology 1

Genericized trademark from Rugby, a brand of rubber cement by Bostik.

Noun

rugby (Badlit spelling ᜇᜄ᜔ᜊᜒ)

1. rubber cement, contact cement

Derived terms

• rugby boy

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English rugby.

Noun

rugby (Badlit spelling ᜇᜄ᜔ᜊᜒ) (sports)

1. rugby

Czech

Alternative forms

• ragby

Etymology

Borrowed from English rugby (sport).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈraɡbɪ]

• Audio (Czech Republic):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: rug‧by

Noun

rugby n (indeclinable)

1. rugby [20th c.]
   • 2006, Luboš Jeřábek, transl., Fotbal – velký lexikon‎^[1], Praha: Grada Publishing, translation of Fussball-Lexikon by Bernd Rohr and Günter Simon, →ISBN, page 10:

     Ve škole v Rugby zakládá W. W. Ellis hru rugby (zvanou také rugbyfotbal, na rozdíl od pozdějšího asociačního fotbalu), při které je dovoleno hrát i rukama.

     W. W. Ellis invents a game called rugby (or rugby football, in contrast to later founded association football), in which it is allowed to play with hands, at a school in Rugby.

Derived terms

• rugbista
• rugbyový

Further reading

• “rugby”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “rugby”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrʏx.bi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: rug‧by

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English rugby.

Noun

rugby n (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. rugby (sport)

Derived terms

• rugbybal
• rugbyclub
• rugbyen
• rugbyspeler
• rugbyteam
• rugbywedstrijd

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

rugby

1. inflection of rugbyen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Finnish

Etymology

From English rugby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɑɡbi/, [ˈrɑ̝ɡbi]
• IPA^(key): /ˈruɡby/, [ˈruɡby]
• Rhymes: -ɑɡbi
• Syllabification^(key): rug‧by
• Hyphenation^(key): rug‧by

Noun

rugby

1. (sports) rugby

Declension

Inflection of rugby (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		rugby	rugbyt
genitive		rugbyn	rugbyjen
partitive		rugbya	rugbyja
illative		rugbyyn	rugbyihin
		singular	plural
nominative		rugby	rugbyt
accusative	nom.	rugby	rugbyt
	gen.	rugbyn
genitive		rugbyn	rugbyjen
partitive		rugbya	rugbyja
inessive		rugbyssa	rugbyissa
elative		rugbysta	rugbyista
illative		rugbyyn	rugbyihin
adessive		rugbylla	rugbyilla
ablative		rugbylta	rugbyilta
allative		rugbylle	rugbyille
essive		rugbyna	rugbyina
translative		rugbyksi	rugbyiksi
abessive		rugbytta	rugbyitta
instructive		—	rugbyin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of rugby (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative rugbyni rugbyni accusative nom. rugbyni rugbyni gen. rugbyni genitive rugbyni rugbyjeni partitive rugbyani rugbyjani inessive rugbyssani rugbyissani elative rugbystani rugbyistani illative rugbyyni rugbyihini adessive rugbyllani rugbyillani ablative rugbyltani rugbyiltani allative rugbylleni rugbyilleni essive rugbynani rugbyinani translative rugbykseni rugbyikseni abessive rugbyttani rugbyittani instructive — — comitative — rugbyineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative rugbysi rugbysi accusative nom. rugbysi rugbysi gen. rugbysi genitive rugbysi rugbyjesi partitive rugbyasi rugbyjasi inessive rugbyssasi rugbyissasi elative rugbystasi rugbyistasi illative rugbyysi rugbyihisi adessive rugbyllasi rugbyillasi ablative rugbyltasi rugbyiltasi allative rugbyllesi rugbyillesi essive rugbynasi rugbyinasi translative rugbyksesi rugbyiksesi abessive rugbyttasi rugbyittasi instructive — — comitative — rugbyinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative rugbymme rugbymme accusative nom. rugbymme rugbymme gen. rugbymme genitive rugbymme rugbyjemme partitive rugbyamme rugbyjamme inessive rugbyssamme rugbyissamme elative rugbystamme rugbyistamme illative rugbyymme rugbyihimme adessive rugbyllamme rugbyillamme ablative rugbyltamme rugbyiltamme allative rugbyllemme rugbyillemme essive rugbynamme rugbyinamme translative rugbyksemme rugbyiksemme abessive rugbyttamme rugbyittamme instructive — — comitative — rugbyinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative rugbynne rugbynne accusative nom. rugbynne rugbynne gen. rugbynne genitive rugbynne rugbyjenne partitive rugbyanne rugbyjanne inessive rugbyssanne rugbyissanne elative rugbystanne rugbyistanne illative rugbyynne rugbyihinne adessive rugbyllanne rugbyillanne ablative rugbyltanne rugbyiltanne allative rugbyllenne rugbyillenne essive rugbynanne rugbyinanne translative rugbyksenne rugbyiksenne abessive rugbyttanne rugbyittanne instructive — — comitative — rugbyinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative rugbynsa rugbynsa accusative nom. rugbynsa rugbynsa gen. rugbynsa genitive rugbynsa rugbyjensa partitive rugbyaan rugbyansa rugbyjaan rugbyjansa inessive rugbyssaan rugbyssansa rugbyissaan rugbyissansa elative rugbystaan rugbystansa rugbyistaan rugbyistansa illative rugbyynsa rugbyihinsa adessive rugbyllaan rugbyllansa rugbyillaan rugbyillansa ablative rugbyltaan rugbyltansa rugbyiltaan rugbyiltansa allative rugbylleen rugbyllensa rugbyilleen rugbyillensa essive rugbynaan rugbynansa rugbyinaan rugbyinansa translative rugbykseen rugbyksensa rugbyikseen rugbyiksensa abessive rugbyttaan rugbyttansa rugbyittaan rugbyittansa instructive — — comitative — rugbyineen rugbyinensa

Inflection of rugby (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		rugby	rugbyt
genitive		rugbyn	rugbyjen
partitive		rugbyä	rugbyjä
illative		rugbyyn	rugbyihin
		singular	plural
nominative		rugby	rugbyt
accusative	nom.	rugby	rugbyt
	gen.	rugbyn
genitive		rugbyn	rugbyjen
partitive		rugbyä	rugbyjä
inessive		rugbyssä	rugbyissä
elative		rugbystä	rugbyistä
illative		rugbyyn	rugbyihin
adessive		rugbyllä	rugbyillä
ablative		rugbyltä	rugbyiltä
allative		rugbylle	rugbyille
essive		rugbynä	rugbyinä
translative		rugbyksi	rugbyiksi
abessive		rugbyttä	rugbyittä
instructive		—	rugbyin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of rugby (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative rugbyni rugbyni accusative nom. rugbyni rugbyni gen. rugbyni genitive rugbyni rugbyjeni partitive rugbyäni rugbyjäni inessive rugbyssäni rugbyissäni elative rugbystäni rugbyistäni illative rugbyyni rugbyihini adessive rugbylläni rugbyilläni ablative rugbyltäni rugbyiltäni allative rugbylleni rugbyilleni essive rugbynäni rugbyinäni translative rugbykseni rugbyikseni abessive rugbyttäni rugbyittäni instructive — — comitative — rugbyineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative rugbysi rugbysi accusative nom. rugbysi rugbysi gen. rugbysi genitive rugbysi rugbyjesi partitive rugbyäsi rugbyjäsi inessive rugbyssäsi rugbyissäsi elative rugbystäsi rugbyistäsi illative rugbyysi rugbyihisi adessive rugbylläsi rugbyilläsi ablative rugbyltäsi rugbyiltäsi allative rugbyllesi rugbyillesi essive rugbynäsi rugbyinäsi translative rugbyksesi rugbyiksesi abessive rugbyttäsi rugbyittäsi instructive — — comitative — rugbyinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative rugbymme rugbymme accusative nom. rugbymme rugbymme gen. rugbymme genitive rugbymme rugbyjemme partitive rugbyämme rugbyjämme inessive rugbyssämme rugbyissämme elative rugbystämme rugbyistämme illative rugbyymme rugbyihimme adessive rugbyllämme rugbyillämme ablative rugbyltämme rugbyiltämme allative rugbyllemme rugbyillemme essive rugbynämme rugbyinämme translative rugbyksemme rugbyiksemme abessive rugbyttämme rugbyittämme instructive — — comitative — rugbyinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative rugbynne rugbynne accusative nom. rugbynne rugbynne gen. rugbynne genitive rugbynne rugbyjenne partitive rugbyänne rugbyjänne inessive rugbyssänne rugbyissänne elative rugbystänne rugbyistänne illative rugbyynne rugbyihinne adessive rugbyllänne rugbyillänne ablative rugbyltänne rugbyiltänne allative rugbyllenne rugbyillenne essive rugbynänne rugbyinänne translative rugbyksenne rugbyiksenne abessive rugbyttänne rugbyittänne instructive — — comitative — rugbyinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative rugbynsä rugbynsä accusative nom. rugbynsä rugbynsä gen. rugbynsä genitive rugbynsä rugbyjensä partitive rugbyään rugbyänsä rugbyjään rugbyjänsä inessive rugbyssään rugbyssänsä rugbyissään rugbyissänsä elative rugbystään rugbystänsä rugbyistään rugbyistänsä illative rugbyynsä rugbyihinsä adessive rugbyllään rugbyllänsä rugbyillään rugbyillänsä ablative rugbyltään rugbyltänsä rugbyiltään rugbyiltänsä allative rugbylleen rugbyllensä rugbyilleen rugbyillensä essive rugbynään rugbynänsä rugbyinään rugbyinänsä translative rugbykseen rugbyksensä rugbyikseen rugbyiksensä abessive rugbyttään rugbyttänsä rugbyittään rugbyittänsä instructive — — comitative — rugbyineen rugbyinensä

Derived terms

compounds

• pyörätuolirugby
• rugbyjoukkue
• rugbyottelu

Further reading

• “rugby”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Etymology

English rugby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁyɡ.bi/

• Audio (France (Paris)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Noun

rugby m (uncountable)

1. rugby (sport)

Derived terms

• rugby à sept
• rugby à quinze
• rugby à treize
• rugbyman
• rugbywoman

Descendants

• → Russian: ре́гби (régbi) (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• “rugby”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English rugby. For the /ɛ/ compare club.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɛɡ.bi/, /ˈraɡ.bi/
• Rhymes: -ɛɡbi, -aɡbi

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

rugby m (invariable)

1. rugby (form of football)

Further reading

• rugby in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

English rugbyubor.

Polish rugby

Unadapted borrowing from English rugby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈraɡ.bɘ/, /ˈruɡ.bɘ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɡbɘ, -uɡbɘ
• Syllabification: rug‧by

Noun

rugby n (indeclinable)

1. (sports) rugby (sport where players can hold or kick an ovoid ball)

Derived terms

nouns

• rugbista
• rugbysta

Further reading

• “rugby”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “rugby”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English rugby.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐɡ.bi/ [ˈhɐɡ.bi], /ˈʁɐ.ɡi.bi/ [ˈhɐ.ɡi.bi]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐɡ.bi/ [ˈhɐɡ.bi], /ˈʁɐ.ɡi.bi/ [ˈhɐ.ɡi.bi]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐɡ.bi/ [ˈχɐɡ.bi], /ˈʁɐ.ɡi.bi/ [ˈχɐ.ɡi.bi]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐɡ.bi/ [ˈhɐɡ.bi]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʁɐj.ɡɨ.bi/ [ˈʁɐj.ɣɨ.βi]

Noun

rugby m (uncountable)

1. alternative spelling of rúgbi / râguebi

Further reading

• “rugby”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Alternative forms

• rugbi (rare)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English rugby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈraɡbi/ [ˈraɣ̞.β̞i]
  • Rhymes: -aɡbi
• IPA^(key): /ˈruɡbi/ [ˈruɣ̞.β̞i]
  • Rhymes: -uɡbi
• Syllabification: rug‧by

Noun

rugby m (plural rugbys)

1. rugby

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “rugby”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English rugby.

Noun

rugby c

1. (sports) rugby

Declension

Declension of rugby

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	rugby	rugbys
	definite	rugbyn	rugbyns
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Derived terms

• rugbyboll (“rugby ball”)

References

• “rugby”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “rugby”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “rugby”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• Svensk MeSH