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

Organisers suspended the final of the Berlin Open tennis tournament and cleared everyone out of the event location because of severe thunderstorms.

From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026

But even those few weeks are too long for many tennis stars to spend in the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

The Williams sisters changed the tennis landscape when they arrived as talented teenagers in the 1990s.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

Open tennis tournament and the fast-approaching NFL season, it’s shaping up to be another big year for sports viewership — and tapping into these events can really pay off for media companies.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

It also offered horseback riding along the resort’s dirt trails, swimming in a huge outdoor pool, clay tennis courts, casino gambling, an antiques shop, and even a movie theater for the guests.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson