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

“You have to know your lane. I’m really good at playing tennis; I’m not as good at interiors. But I was able to learn through just watching Venus,” she said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Their father, Petr Korda, won the 1998 Australian Open in singles tennis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

David Quayle was visiting his parents when his phone rang, and he was asked to fly to Florida to help prepare Serena Williams for a return to professional tennis.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

"I started playing when I was young and I never expected this kind of result," said Cobolli, who was a footballer in Roma's academy before concentrating on tennis.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

When Karli told her he was good at juggling one day, she gave him two tennis balls—if he was happy, it would help him to get better, she said.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo