rugby

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

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.
      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”).
   I don't know why, but for some reason people who work undercover for department store security always wear rugbies and khakis. 2003, B. Lawson Thornton, Misery Loves Company: The Diary of Kerri Mitchell, East River Press
   Jansports and cargo pants were everywhere, set off with overstated polos, rugbies, and sweatshirts blaring the logos of hip hop designers. 2007, Adam Mansbach, Angry Black White Boy:[…], Crown, page 69
   I bought three jogging suits, a pair of Polo sneakers, and two rugbies. 2015, Tony Jackson, From the Streets to the Sheets, Page Publishing

verb

1. (intransitive) To play rugby.

Etymology 2

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

noun

1. (Philippines) Rubber cement, contact cement.