table tennis

American  

noun

1. a game resembling tennis, played on a table with small paddles and a hollow celluloid or plastic ball.

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table tennis British  

noun

1. a miniature form of tennis played on a table with small bats and a light hollow ball

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Etymology

Origin of table tennis

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Sabbir reads manuals on the theory of navigation, and Islamic texts—or plays table tennis with his crew.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

At the same time, Anta was slowly getting its name out domestically, opening new shops and partnering with major sporting events, including national basketball and table tennis competitions.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

“Here we present Ace, to our knowledge the first real-world autonomous system competitive with elite human table tennis players,” the study said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

As a child she was encouraged to take part in sport and shone at table tennis, but found her calling in winter sports and cross-country skiing in particular.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

I in turn would tell him about the table tennis and soccer tournaments I had participated in, the performance we had given for visitors, if there was any that week.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah