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

Yarrow hopes that the Norway squad photo, which will sit next to a table tennis table at the side's Greensboro base in North Carolina, has the same impact.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 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

“Marty Supreme” director Josh Safdie cast Catsimatidis as Christopher Galanis, a financial backer of the table tennis phenom played by Timothée Chalamet in the film.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 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

He often imagined other things he could have done, or that he could still do: teach in a university, edit a newspaper, coach professional table tennis.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie