pelota

[ puh-loh-tuh; Spanish pe-law-tah ]

/ pəˈloʊ tə; Spanish pɛˈlɔ tɑ /

Save This Word!

noun, plural pe·lo·tas

[puh-loh-tuhz; Spanish pe-law-tahs]. /pəˈloʊ təz; Spanish pɛˈlɔ tɑs/.

a Basque and Spanish game from which jai alai was developed.

the game of jai alai.

the ball used in pelota and jai alai.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of pelota

1890–95; <Spanish: ball <Middle French pelote;see pellet

Words nearby pelota

Peloponnesus, Pelops, peloria, pelorize, pelorus, pelota, Pelotas, peloton, pelt, peltast, peltate

How to use pelota in a sentence

Jugavan a la pelota y a un juego con unas habas como a los dados, y a otros muchos.
The Maya Indians of Southern Yucatan and Northern British Honduras|Thomas William Francis Gann
Smuggler and pelota player,—two things which go well together and which are essentially Basque.
Ramuntcho|Pierre Loti
Se construyeron excelentes frontones; pero de algn tiempo a esta parte el football viene suplantando a la pelota como deporte.
Heath's Modern Language Series: The Spanish American Reader|Ernesto Nelson
Pelota is a hard, fast game, and sometimes serious injuries result from playing it.
Outdoor Sports and Games|Claude H. Miller

The villages are much devoted to Pelota; and few are too poor to possess some species of primitive court.
Northern Spain|Edgar T. A. Wigram

British Dictionary definitions for pelota

pelota

/ (pəˈlɒtə) /

noun

any of various games played in Spain, Spanish America, SW France, etc, by two players who use a basket strapped to their wrists or a wooden racket to propel a ball against a specially marked wall

Word Origin for pelota

C19: from Spanish: ball, from Old French pelote; see pellet

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012