rugger
rugger Lexical Profile
rugger Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British An informal term for the game of rugby football.
"The alumni gathered on the muddy pitch for a friendly afternoon match of rugger."
North American A person who plays rugby.
"Several collegiate ruggers stayed after practice to work on their scrum technique."
North American A sturdy, long-sleeved athletic shirt with wide horizontal stripes and a woven collar, modeled after traditional rugby jerseys.
"He wore a heavy cotton rugger paired with khaki trousers for the casual weekend outing."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, 'rugger' is an informal, uncountable term for the sport of rugby (often associated with private-school or upper-class slang), whereas in North American English it is primarily a countable noun referring to an individual rugby player.
• Rhymes for rugger
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in late 19th-century Oxford University slang by clipping 'Rugby' and adding the colloquial suffix '-er' (known as the Oxford '-er', which also produced 'soccer' from 'Assoc.').