ping pong en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈpɪŋˌpɒŋ/ (UK)
- /ˈpɪŋˌpɑŋ/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)
- (US) audio
- /ˈpɪŋˌpɔŋ/ (General-American)
- /ˈpiŋˌpɒŋ/ (UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Onomatopoeic. The name “ping-pong” was in wide use before British manufacturer J. Jaques & Son Ltd trademarked it in 1901. Jaques sold the rights to the “ping-pong” name in the United States to Parker Brothers. Registered in the United States in 1930, Ping-Pong (with dash) is still a registered wordmark of Parker Brothers, Inc. Contrary to a common misconception, the word does not originate from Chinese 乒乓 (pīngpāng), though there are possibilities that the coiners encountered Chinese themselves.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) Table tennis.
Our correspondent seems to hope that the unclean, playing Ping-Pong with the clean, will become unpleasantly conscious of his uncleanness and reform.
1900, Daily Chronicle, published 1905, May 8, page 6/6:
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(countable, figuratively, uncountable) An instance of figuratively bouncing something or someone back and forth.
To be conscious is to be subject to just such a ping-pong of recurring nervous activities that effect muscle tone on one side and brain discharge on the other.
1909, Thaddeus L. Bolton, “On the Efficacy of Consciousness”, in Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge, Wendell T. Bush, editors, The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, volume 6, New York: The Science Press, page 424:
- (UK, countable, uncountable) The exchange of proposed amendments between the House of Commons and House of Lords, particularly at the end of a session when compromises have to be made to complete the legislative process within the limited time available.
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(countable, dated, uncountable) A size of photograph a little larger than a postage stamp.
As only bust or half-length figures are all the ping pong photographer attempts, only one or two small plain backgrounds is all that is necessary. Generally two are used, a light one and a dark one.
1909, James Boniface Schriever, Commercial, press, scientific photography, page 401:
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(countable, uncountable) A small, shallow steelpan drum.
Most ping pongs were 35- to 45-gallon drums. The larger drum had room for more notes; the tones were also louder and clearer and could be sustained longer.
2012, Angela Smith, Steel Drums and Steelbands: A History, page 158:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ping-pong | alternative | lexicographic | |
| pingpong | alternative | lexicographic | |
| ping pongs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
beer pong · aerial ping pong · ping-pongist · ping pong ball · ping-pong diplomacy · ping pong player · ping pong table · ping pong show
Descendants
ping pong · 핑퐁 · пинг-понг · 乒乓球 · ping pong · pingue-pongue · πινγκ πονγκ · ピンポン