derby

der·by
D2E1R1B3Y4
UK/ˈdɑː.bi/Australia/ˈdäː.bi/US/ˈdɝ.bi/UK/ˈdɑːbi/

noun

Any of several annual horse races.

“a donkey derby”

Similar
CommonScrabble 11

Meanings

derby1

nounderby (plural derbies)

plural derbies

  1. Any of several annual horse races.
  2. broadlyAny organized race.

    a donkey derby

  3. USA 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.

    1906, O. Henry, The Green Door
  4. hobbiesA sports match between rival teams.
  5. hobbiesA local derby.

    Defeat sees Forest remain a point outside the top six with a derby against Leicester up next.

    2011 April 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest”, in BBC Sport
    1 more example

    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.

    2021 March 7, David Hytner, “Manchester United catch City cold as Fernandes and Shaw end winning run”, in The Guardian

Derby2

proper noun
  1. A city and unitary authority in Derbyshire, East Midlands, England; formerly the county town (OS grid ref SK3536).

    Gerard Ring, 82, died in hospital three days after he was stabbed by Julian Donoher outside his home in Whitecross Gardens, off Kedleston Road in Derby, on 6 September 2025.

    2026 September 22, Isaac Ashe, “Man who killed 82-year-old in random attack sentenced”, in BBC News, retrieved 22 Sep 2026
  2. A suburb of Barnstaple, North Devon district, Devon, England (OS grid ref SS5633).
  3. A small town in Tasmania, Australia.
  4. A locality in the Shire of Loddon, north western Victoria, Australia.
  5. A locality in Langley district municipality, in southwestern British Columbia, Canada.
  6. A small town in North West province, South Africa.
  7. Various places in the United States:
    1. A census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado; much of Derby was annexed by Commerce City in 1962.
    2. A tiny city in Lucas County, Iowa.
    3. A hamlet in the town of Evans, Erie County, New York.
nounDerby (countable and uncountable, plural Derbys)

plural Derbys

  1. countableuncountableA type of cheese made in Derby, England.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna felt hat that is round and hard with a narrow brim

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

derby · noun

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

Full word history & related roots →

Derby · proper noun, noun

  1. LatinDerventio
  2. Old NorseDjúra-bý“village of the deer”
  3. Old EnglishDēorby
  4. Middle EnglishDerby
  5. EnglishDerby

Inherited from Middle English Derby, from Old English Dēorby, of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin, from Old Norse Djúra-bý (“village of the deer”), from dýr (“deer”) + bǿr (“settlement”). Influenced by British Latin Derventio, the Roman site predating Derby, and possibly also the Celtic river name Derwent.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian конно надбягване
  • конно надбягване (konno nadbjagvane)horse race
Catalan derbi
  • derbihorse race
Chinese Cantonese 打吡
  • 打吡 (daa² bei²)horse race
Chinese Mandarin 德比, 德比
  • 德比 (débǐ)horse race
  • 德比 (Débǐ)city in England
Czech dostih
  • dostihhorse race
Finnish hevoskilpailu, ajot
  • hevoskilpailuhorse race
  • ajothorse race
  • kilpailuany organized race
German Derby, Derby
  • Derbyhorse race
  • Derbycity in England
Greek Ντέρμπι
  • Ντέρμπι (Ntérmpi)city in England
Hebrew דרבי
  • דרבי (darbi)city in England
Hungarian derbi
  • derbihorse race
Indonesian balap kuda, derbi
  • balap kudahorse race
  • derbihorse race
  • balapanany organized race
  • pertandinganany organized race
Italian corsa di cavalli, competizione
  • corsa di cavallihorse race
  • competizioneany organized race
  • garaany organized race
  • partitaany organized race
Japanese ダービー
  • ダービー (dābī)horse race
Latin Derventiō
  • Derventiōcity in England
Persian داربی
  • داربی (dârbi)city in England
Polish derby, derby
  • derbyhorse race
  • derbyany organized race
  • Derbycity in England
Portuguese dérbi, páreo
  • dérbihorse race
  • páreohorse race
  • corridaany organized race
  • disputaany organized race
Russian де́рби, Де́рби
  • де́рби (dɛ́rbi)horse race
  • Де́рби (Dɛ́rbi)city in England
Spanish derbi, carrera
  • derbihorse race
  • carreraany organized race
Thai ดาร์บี้, ดาร์บี้
  • ดาร์บี้horse race
  • ดาร์บี้any organized race
  • ดาร์บี้city in England
Urdu ڈَرْبی
  • ڈَرْبی (ḍarbī)city in England

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with derby

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

derby. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derby

MLA

“derby.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derby. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “derby,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/derby.

Source: derby on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.