netball

[net-bawl]

noun

1. Tennis.,  a ball, on a return shot, that hits the top of the net and drops on the other side of the court, thus remaining in play.

2. British.,  a game similar to basketball, played with a soccer ball, usually outdoors.

netball

/ ˈnɛtˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a team game similar to basketball, played mainly by women

Other Word Forms

• netballer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of netball¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; net ¹ + ball ¹

Example Sentences

And he describes his children's favourite activities – it is football and hockey for George, netball for Charlotte, while both Charlotte and Louis like trampolining.

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They are at the vanguard of the sport's professional era, the elite of the three million people who play netball in England at least once a year.

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I arrive at a sports hall as a group of 11 and 12-year-old girls play netball and laughter is ringing out.

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Arriving as an 11-year-old, she told the PE staff she would be playing rugby, not netball.

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Raised by her grandmother, Hele only started playing rugby in 2014, after joining a training session as a way to do some further running to stay fit for netball.

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