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

PingPod, a chain of table tennis venues in the United States, reported it had 160,000 registered users.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

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

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

They watch Netflix, cook and play table tennis wearing their gear.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Josh features in the film as one of the players competing at the table tennis championships held in Wembley in London, and appears in a number of other scenes.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 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