tetherball

American  

[teth-er-bawl] / ˈtɛð ərˌbɔl /

noun

1. a game for two persons, in which each player, standing on each side of a post from the top of which a ball is suspended by a cord, hits the ball with the hand or a paddle in a direction opposite to that in which the other player hits it, the object being to coil the cord completely around the post.

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Etymology

Origin of tetherball

First recorded in 1895–1900; tether + ball ¹

Example Sentences

"America, get ready for a historically long recess. I call tetherball."

From Salon • May 4, 2025

She dreamed of her 5-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter growing up in the three-bedroom home that had fruit trees and, at one point, a treehouse and space for tetherball in the backyard.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

“You didn’t recognize me in front of tetherball, and you broke my ChapStick that one time, so that’s the totality of Robbin’s bullying experience.”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2023

By 1955 the trailer camp boasted a heated pool, shuffleboard courts, horseshoes and a playground with six swings, tetherball and a sandbox.

From New York Times • Aug. 20, 2020

At recess the cool kids play tetherball, which it turns out I’m sort of okay at.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff