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table tennis

American  

noun

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


table tennis British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of table tennis

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

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

On a local level, charity-run possibilities range from free table tennis sessions in Brighton, external to street dance in Blackpool, external.

From BBC Jun. 28, 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

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