pickleball

noun

pick·le·ball ˈpi-kəl-ˌbȯl

plural pickleballs

: an indoor or outdoor game that is played on a level court with short-handled paddles and a perforated plastic ball volleyed over a low net by two players or pairs of players

Pickleball is a paddle sport created for all ages and skill levels. This team sport can be played indoors or outdoors and takes place on a badminton court using a perforated plastic baseball (similar to a wiffle ball) and small paddles. The pickleball net is lowered to 34 inches for game play, and each game is played to a score of 11 points.—

The Winston-Salem (North Carolina) Journal

also : the ball used in this game

The day started out fine but a blast of chilly air soon blew through. When the clouds lifted there were strong winds which played havoc with the lightweight plastic pickleballs. —

Craig Garrett

pickleballer

ˈpi-kəl-ˌbȯ-lər

noun

plural pickleballers

Other local pickleballers said they love how accessible the sport is whether you're a man, woman, youngster or senior. They said it's likely one of the reasons the sport has become increasingly popular … —

Brian Arola

Examples of pickleball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The pickleball championships are at the Arizona Athletic Grounds (formerly Legacy Park) at Ellsworth and Williams Fields roads in Mesa. —

Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024 For pickleball enthusiasts or anyone wanting to learn the game, a 60,000-square-foot indoor facility will soon open in Menomonee Falls. —

Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024 There are tennis and pickleball courts; yoga, Pilates, and qi gong classes; chanting sessions; and educational sessions on nutrition and juicing. —

Tasha Zemke, Outside Online, 15 Nov. 2024 At my always-busy local pickleball courts in Santa Monica, K-Swiss Pickleball Supreme seems to be a favorite. —

David Hochman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pickleball

Word History

Etymology

pickle entry 1 + ball entry 1

Note: The game was invented in the summer of 1965 by a group of neighbors on Bainbridge Island, Washington, including then state representative Joel Prichard (1925-97), Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. According to one account, pickle was suggested by pickle boat, a boat in crew rowing made up of rowers not chosen by other teams (as pickleball was amalgamated from features of other paddle sports). Another account claims that pickle was inspired by a dog named Pickles owned by one of the neighbors (though it is also claimed that this dog was named after the sport). (See, among other sources, the website of the USA Pickleball Association, and www.pickleballportal.com.)

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of pickleball was in 1973

See more words from the same year