tennis ball

American  

noun

1. a hollow ball used in tennis, made of rubber with a fuzzy covering of woven Dacron, nylon, or wool.

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tennis ball British  

noun

1. a hollow rubber ball covered with felt, used in tennis

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Etymology

Origin of tennis ball

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

"Pick any sort of motor control task -- like hitting a tennis ball or swinging a bat at a baseball," Aimone said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026

Blind cricket relies on a sharp ear, as players must detect a white plastic ball -- the size of a tennis ball -- filled with ball bearings that rattle as it moves.

From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025

The tennis ball, an undisturbed artifact of a horrific wildfire, sat just off the Pacific Palisades court and was so covered in gray ash that its Penn logo was only faintly visible.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2025

"Akash mostly played with a tennis ball, but whenever we took him along for a leather-ball match, he would always help us win. But Akash thought that only the rich could play cricket."

From BBC • Jul. 29, 2025

Alex glanced around: some boys were hitting grounders with a tennis ball over on a nearby baseball diamond, but the rest of the park was empty; he couldn’t spot Rex anywhere.

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers