tennis
[ ten-is ]
/ ˈtɛn ɪs /
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noun
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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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
Words nearby tennis
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for tennis
British Dictionary definitions for tennis
tennis
/ (ˈtɛnɪs) /
noun
- 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, etcSee also lawn tennis, real tennis, court tennis, table tennis
- (as modifier)tennis court; tennis racket
Word Origin for tennis
C14: probably from Anglo-French tenetz hold (imperative), from Old French tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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