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Definition of tennis

tennis

/ˈtɛn.ɪs/
ten · nis
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tennis Lexical Profile

tennis Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A racket sport played on a rectangular court by two players or pairs of players, who use stringed rackets to strike a hollow, felt-covered rubber ball over a central net into the opponent's court.

Example

"She has been practicing her serve for three hours every morning to prepare for the upcoming tennis tournament."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for tennis

• Rhymes for tennis

• Nearby Words

tenner
tennessean
tennessee
tennis
tenor
tenpence
tenpin

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English 'tenetz' or 'tenes', derived from Anglo-Norman and Old French 'tenez' (meaning 'hold!', 'receive!', or 'take!'), the imperative of the verb 'tenir'. This was a call traditionally shouted by the server to their opponent before serving the ball.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tennis. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tennis
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