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

Now a robot named Ace has achieved another milestone for AI and robotics by defeating expert-level humans at table tennis in Tokyo, according to a study published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Don't call it the "Marty Supreme" effect: table tennis is a growing sport in the United States, in part because of a new professional league giving the parlor game an ultra-competitive edge.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

"I'd love to play table tennis as a living."

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Shortly after the first awards were announced, Bell introduced a table tennis tournament.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 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