tennis

American  

[ten-is] / ˈtɛn ɪs /

noun

1. a game played on a rectangular court by two players or two pairs of players equipped with rackets, in which a ball is driven back and forth over a low net that divides the court in half.

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tennis British  

/ ˈtɛnɪs /

noun

1. 1. a racket game played between two players or pairs of players who hit a ball to and fro over a net on a rectangular court of grass, asphalt, clay, etc See also lawn tennis real tennis court tennis table tennis

   2. ( as modifier )

      tennis court

      tennis racket

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Etymology

Origin of tennis

1350–1400; Middle English tenetz, ten ( e ) ys < Anglo-French: take!, imperative plural of tenir to hold, take, receive, apparently used as a server's call

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Explanation

Tennis anyone? Tennis is a sport that's played with a small, felt-covered rubber ball and rackets. The basic goal in tennis is hitting the ball across a net. There are two types of tennis: singles, when two individuals face off, and doubles, which involves teams of two players. If you can hit a tennis ball with a racket, you can play tennis. Historians believe that tennis grew out of a 12th century French game called la paulme, "the palm," in which players hit a ball with their hands. The word tennis comes from the Anglo-French tenetz, "Hold! Take! Receive!" which players called out before serving.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tennis

Reginald Johnston introduced the Chinese emperor to bicycle-riding, photography, tennis and the films of Buster Keaton.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Not only is Zverev now the French and US Open champion, but he was also runner-up at Wimbledon, where he played his best tennis of the year.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Most pressing was making a call to her proud parents, Nick and Susie, who had been watching the final with friends at their local tennis club in north London, and her sister Phoebe.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

For the 15th time in the last 16 years, Palisades and Granada Hills met for the City Section Open Division girls’ tennis championship Wednesday afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

I hadn’t taken it back to him after I borrowed it on Sunday and it was still parked behind the tennis courts where I’d left it.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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