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

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

Unlike Wimbledon’s manicured restraint or the French Open’s Parisian chic, New York has long offered something more unruly, with night tennis, celebrity, noise and spectators willing to make themselves part of the show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

But through the first week of this year’s event, a question has intruded on the spectacle: When does atmosphere start to supersede tennis?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Influencers have ruined the US Open for actual tennis fans.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

A new padel court and "associated pavilion" would also replace an existing tennis court.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Dixie trotted up with a slobbery tennis ball.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn