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pelota

[ puh-loh-tuh; Spanish pe-law-tah ]
/ pəˈloʊ tə; Spanish pɛˈlɔ tɑ /

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.

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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pelota

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