tennis Definition
ten·nis (ten′is)
noun
- a game, usually played outdoors, in which two players or two pairs of players using rackets hit a fabric-covered, hollow rubber ball back and forth over a net stretched across a marked, level, rectangular area (tennis court)
- a similar but more complex old indoor game (court tennis) in which the ball is bounced against the walls of a specially constructed court as well as hit over a net
Etymology: ME tenetz, prob. < Anglo-Fr tenetz, receive, hold (imper. for OFr tenez) < OFr tenir, to hold (see tenant): a cry by the server before play
tennis Synonyms
tennis
n.
tennis Usage Examples
Converse of object
- floodlight: Floodlit tennis and netball courts - Hard surface - 7 tennis and 6 netball courts available all year round.
- play: Oliver, Are you an actor who also plays tennis, or a tennis player who also acts?
- bowl: You can enjoy playing snooker, darts or billiards, bowls, tennis or archery.
- watch: After passionately watching tennis as a teen, he told us how he was overjoyed to learn tennis from retired tennis star Pat Cash.
Adjective modifier
- indoor: There is an outdoor children's play area and indoor table tennis and pool tables.
- competitive: The aim of the ladder is to provide participants with competitive tennis at their own level.
- junior: Anna Kournikova dazzled the world at age 13 and 14 in international junior tennis, winning several tournaments including the 1995 Italian Open.
- short: Or hire the courts and organize your own game of badminton, short tennis, table tennis, football, basketball.
Modifies a noun
- court: Two tennis courts are across from the main entrance.
- racket: The first 10 people to register will get a FREE tennis racket on their fourth session.
- elbow: Was not playing at all well, technique shot to pieces, bit of a tennis elbow by the end.
- racquet: Guitar Hero for Sony PlayStation 2 Publisher: Red Octane Playing air guitars and tennis racquet guitars is now a thing of the past.
- ball: You could have used tennis balls to block all four throttle inlets.
- tournament: The girls had a tennis tournament every year on their tennis court - the boys school were given time to watch which they enjoyed.
Noun used with modifier
- table: We also have a table tennis table up at the farm.
- lawn: My brother and I are teaching each other lawn tennis.
- wheelchair: For more than 10 years she has worked with a number of squads including hockey, rowing, weightlifting and wheelchair tennis.
- grass: The grass tennis court was removed in the 1980's to accommodate an extension to the bowling green.
- weather: We also have an all weather tennis court for visitors use.
- playing: Tho Iâve still got more weight to lose, Iâm more active playing tennis, skiing and able to work harder.
Browse dictionary entries near tennis
- ‹ tennies
- ‹ Tenniel
- ‹ Tennessee walking horse
- ‹ Tennessee Valley Authority
- ‹ Tennessee
- ‹ Tennessean
- ‹ tenner
- ‹ Tenn
- ‹ Teniers
- ‹ tenia
- tennis bracelet ›
- tennis elbow ›
- tennis shoe ›
- tennis shoes ›
- Tennyson ›
- Tennyson, Alfred, 1st Baron ›
- teno- ›
- tenon ›
- tenor ›
- tenor clef ›

