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

The teenager had just beaten the great Serena Williams and, at 19 years old, reached the pinnacle of tennis.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

A knee injury enforced a break at the start of 2020 and the tennis calendar was then paused because of the Covid pandemic.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

But he realized he wanted to be a professional golfer when his father, an avid tennis player, noticed that his son’s forehand form better resembled a golf swing.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

The Wolverines ended University’s four-year run as tennis champions with a 10-8 win at the Southern Section Division 1 championships.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

MacDuff lay down with his chin on Lissa’s clean white tennis shoes.

From "The Old Willis Place" by Mary Downing Hahn