table tennis

American  

noun

1. a game resembling tennis, played on a table with small paddles and a hollow celluloid or plastic ball.

---

table tennis British  

noun

1. a miniature form of tennis played on a table with small bats and a light hollow ball

---

Etymology

Origin of table tennis

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Sabbir reads manuals on the theory of navigation, and Islamic texts—or plays table tennis with his crew.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Most of the matches took place in 2025 — before table tennis tale “Marty Supreme” even hit theaters — although Ace defeated professional players as recently as March.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Don't call it the "Marty Supreme" effect: table tennis is a growing sport in the United States, in part because of a new professional league giving the parlor game an ultra-competitive edge.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

PingPod, a chain of table tennis venues in the United States, reported it had 160,000 registered users.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

But one afternoon, during a table tennis match at which the entire staff was present, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah