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

Tennis, squash, or racquetball were linked to a 15% lower risk.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

To watch my beloved tennis, I need ESPN, TNT, HBO Max, Tennis Channel, Tennis Channel 2, and for Jimmy Connors to come to my house once a week and tell me what’s going on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Nikhil Kumar, who also plays for the Paddlers and competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, told AFP he was "a little bit skeptical" when he first heard of Major League Table Tennis.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

His day job with the Tennis Channel brings him to Indian Wells anyway, and he has answered the call for assistance.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Little did I know that Joylette would one day meet Althea as well as Arthur Ashe, who integrated men’s tennis, when they played in the American Tennis Association championships at Hampton Institute.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson