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volleyball

American

[vol-ee-bawl] / ˈvɒl iˌbɔl /

noun

a game for two teams in which the object is to keep a large ball in motion, from side to side over a high net, by striking it with the hands before it touches the ground.
the ball used in this game.

volleyball British

/ ˈvɒlɪˌbɔːl /

noun

a game in which two teams hit a large ball back and forth over a high net with their hands
the ball used in this game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of volleyball

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; volley + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Publicly available images paint a picture of daily life in the town's sports hall, where schoolchildren played volleyball tournaments and students sat exams.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Her father described her as an avid volleyball player, who would always turn up to the sports hall 20 to 25 minutes early.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Cyndee Bryant, Corona Centennial, 6-4, Sr.: The Kansas commit and outstanding volleyball player helped Centennial win the state Division I championship, averaging 16 points and 16 rebounds per game.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

The CIF championship was not on the line, but it may as well have been Friday night in the annual boys’ volleyball showdown between Mira Costa and Loyola.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

After basketball was a total fail for me, he thought volleyball could be good.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023