''derby'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260824130621-00-⌔

derby - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Noun

derby (plural derbies)

• Any of several annual horse races.
• (by extension) Any organized race.
  • ✤ *a donkey derby *
• (US) A bowler hat.
  • ✤ He began to fan her with his hat. That was successful, for he struck her nose with the brim of his derby and she opened her eyes.¹
• (sports) A sports match between rival teams.
• (sports) A local derby.
  • ✤ Defeat sees Forest remain a point outside the top six with a derby against Leicester up next.²
  • ✤ The left-back had been a selection concern because of an injury niggle but his first goal since last March swung this derby decisively in United’s favour, extending their club record unbeaten run away from home in the Premier League to 22 games and torpedoing City’s sequence of 21 straight wins in all competitions.³

Etymology

From Epsom Derby horse race, named after Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby. Ultimately from Derby.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈdɑː.bi/
• (Australia) IPA: /ˈdäː.bi/
  • Audio (Southern England): 🔊
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)bi
• (General American) IPA: /ˈdɝ.bi/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)bi
• Hyphenation: der‧by

Printed 2026-08-24.

(echo:: @ ⌗)

Footnotes

1. 1906, O. Henry, The Green Door: ↩

2. 2011 April 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott’m Forest”, in BBC Sport ‎${}^{[1]}$: ↩

3. 2021 March 7, David Hytner, “Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run”, in The Guardian ‎${}^{[2]}$: ↩