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

"This is the only place where you can make a living playing jai alai," Goitiandia said, wiping his brow after winning an exhausting round-robin doubles match.

From Fox News ● Mar. 28, 2022

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

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

And Woody was so quick: talking to him was like playing jai alai.

From 100 New Yorkers of the 1970s by Millard, Max