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 Swift paired the item with a white tank top and brown shades while standing on what appears to be a pickleball court. —

Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024 From pickleball courts, and crocodile slides, to lazy rivers, the company aims to create truly a unique experience. —

Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024 Construction will begin soon on four indoor and two outdoor pickleball courts at the 35,000-square-foot athleisure destination, along with golf simulators, ping pong, pool tables, shuffleboard, cornhole and darts. —

Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024 New in spring 2024 are six pickleball courts on site; play for guests is included with the resort fee. —

Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024 Dink & Dine Pickle Park is planning to open a 63,000-square-foot facility in Mesa, near Loop 202 and Dobson Road, which will include pickleball courts, a dog park, food and bars, and event space. —

The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024 Cupertino is moving ahead with plans to have new pickleball courts installed at Memorial Park. —

Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024 However, the new outdoor sports area is broadening the club's offerings beyond pickleball with six bocce ball and cornhole lanes, six sand courts for beach volleyball and beach tennis, and space for additional backyard games, including ladder ball, giant Jenga, and Connect 4. —

Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 11 Apr. 2024 Parque del Indio, off Ashford Avenue in the Condado neighborhood, is a refuge from the crowds with a pristine beach, kitesurfing and games of pickleball and volleyball. —

Luisita Lopez Torregrosa, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pickleball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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