jai alai

American  

[hahy lahy, hahy uh-lahy, hahy uh-lahy] / ˈhaɪ ˌlaɪ, ˈhaɪ əˌlaɪ, ˌhaɪ əˈlaɪ /

noun

1. a game resembling handball, played on a three-walled court between two, four, or six players who are equipped with a long, curved wicker basket, or cesta, strapped to the wrist for catching and throwing a small, hard ball against the front wall.

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jai alai British  

/ ˌhaɪ əˈlaɪ, ˈhaɪ əˌlaɪ, ˈhaɪ ˈlaɪ /

noun

1. a version of pelota played by two or four players

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Etymology

Origin of jai alai

1905–10; < Spanish < Basque, equivalent to jai game + alai merry

Example Sentences

The same decoupling happened to dog racing, harness racing, quarter-horse racing and jai alai a few years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2025

"Like my dad always says: Everyone loves jai alai — some people just don’t know it yet," the younger Bueno said.

From Fox News • Mar. 28, 2022

The first jai alai fronton in the U.S. was built in St. Louis, for the 1904 World’s Fair, and in its heyday the game was played in several states.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2022

She and her brother Manuel were born in Cuba before coming to Miami, where their father was a professional jai alai player.

From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2021

When you visit the Basques, you will notice that they all like to eat enormous meals, they like to gamble, and they like to play "jai alai," a very fast ball game which they invented.

From Getting to know Spain by Lambo, Don