rugby football
1
3.2
- noun
- /ˈrʌɡbi ˈfʊtbɔl/
:
rugby
- After school, the kids often gather at the park to play rugby football together.
Examples
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The rules of rugby football differ significantly from those of American football.
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Rugby football is especially popular in countries like England, New Zealand, and South Africa.
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He played rugby football at university and represented his college in several matches.
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I love playing rugby football on weekends.
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Do you play rugby football at school?
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rugby football is played around the world, with millions of fans supporting their favorite teams.
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In rugby football, the objective is to score points by grounding the ball over the opposing team's goal line.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A team game where two teams try to get the ball into the other goal by kicking or carrying it
55
2.7
A team game where two teams carry and pass an oval ball
1
9.3
A team game that people play with an oval ball, often at school
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound simply names a type of football by combining 'rugby' (a specific sport) with 'football' (a team sport), so the overall meaning — a form of football played under rugby rules with an oval ball — is directly inferable from the parts. This noun+noun type labeling is a common compositional pattern and is mirrored in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Rugby football gets its name from Rugby, a school in England. One popular story says a student picked up the ball and ran with it during a school game, and that idea of carrying and running with the ball became the main feature of this kind of 'football', so the sport is named after Rugby.