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

See Examples For:

jai alai

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

People think soccer is the best, but I preferred rugby, hockey, jai alai.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2023

"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

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

And then, the kid in the chair has to sit there and watch his brother play basketball or jai alai, while he can't do anything himself.

From Anything You Can Do! by Garrett, Randall