tennis

[ ten-is ]

noun

1. a game played on a rectangular court by two players or two pairs of players equipped with rackets, in which a ball is driven back and forth over a low net that divides the court in half.

tennis

/ ˈtɛnɪs /

noun

1. 1. a racket game played between two players or pairs of players who hit a ball to and fro over a net on a rectangular court of grass, asphalt, clay, etc See also lawn tennis real tennis court tennis table tennis
   2. ( as modifier )

      tennis court

      tennis racket

Word History and Origins

Origin of tennis¹

1350–1400; Middle English tenetz, ten ( e ) ys < Anglo-French: take!, imperative plural of tenir to hold, take, receive, apparently used as a server's call

Word History and Origins

Origin of tennis¹

C14: probably from Anglo-French tenetz hold (imperative), from Old French tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre

Example Sentences

In the Chargers’ locker room, outfitted with table tennis, shuffleboard and a golf simulator, Herbert wants to win everything, linebacker Troy Dye said.

From Los Angeles Times

Billie Jean King turns 81 next week, but does not want tennis targeted at people like her.

From BBC

King co-founded World Team Tennis in 1974, but not many innovations of that annual summer professional mixed league - which has not taken place since 2021 - have been adopted by the main tours.

From BBC

"I would like to see names and numbers on the back of the shirt in tennis," she said.

From BBC

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert considered the awarding of the Finals to Riyadh for a three-year term to be a "step backward" for women's tennis, but King, who is gay, argued it was important at least to engage with the Saudi authorities.

From BBC