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

See Examples For:

table tennis

This small sideways displacement is the optical equivalent of the Magnus effect that makes a spinning table tennis ball curve through the air.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

Those who have seen him behind the scenes say he has been playing table tennis with team-mates at the squad's hotel, where a number of fans gathered in the hope of getting his autograph.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

A secret visit by national security adviser Henry Kissinger the year before laid the groundwork for the presidential trip, alongside reciprocal visits of table tennis teams termed "ping-pong diplomacy".

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

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

But one afternoon, during a table tennis match at which the entire staff was present, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

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