court tennis

court tennis

noun
a variety of tennis played indoors on a specially constructed court having high cement walls off which the ball may be played, points being made chiefly by stroking the ball into any of three openings in the walls of the court. Compare penthouse (def. 7), tambour (def. 7), winning opening.


Origin:
1910–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Court tennis is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
court tennis
 
n
the US term for real tennis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

court tennis

racket sport that is descended from and almost identical to the medieval tennis game jeu de paume ("game of the palm"). Real tennis has been played since the Middle Ages, but the game has become almost completely obscured by its own descendant, lawn tennis. Although real tennis contributed its name and scoring system to lawn tennis, real tennis is now played at fewer than 30 courts in the world. The court at Hampton Court palace, where Henry VIII played, is still used occasionally.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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