table-tennis bat
- noun
- UK
:
paleta de ping-pong
- She gripped the table-tennis bat tightly, ready to return the serve.
Examples
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His table-tennis bat had a special rubber surface for extra spin.
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Do you have a table-tennis bat I can borrow?
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After losing his table-tennis bat, he had to borrow one for the match.
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He bought a new table-tennis bat yesterday.
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She gripped her table-tennis bat firmly, preparing for her next opponent.
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He demonstrated impressive skill with his table-tennis bat, winning the match easily.
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After practicing for hours, she finally felt comfortable using her new table-tennis bat.
Synonyms
244
1.0
A stick used to hit a ball in games like baseball or cricket
43
1.6
A handled frame with tight strings used to hit a ball in tennis
25
2.1
A small flat bat used to hit balls in games like table tennis
A small flat paddle you use to hit the ball in table tennis
A small flat bat with a short handle used to hit the ball in table tennis
How Heavy
- Jargon
3
8.2
- UK
Surface Forms
Morphology
table-tennis + bat
The meaning is directly and predictably derived from the constituents: 'table-tennis' names the sport and 'bat' names the implement for hitting balls, so together they denote the implement used in table tennis. This is a regular noun+noun composition common across languages (e.g. 'table tennis racket' / 'ping-pong paddle'), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.
Etymology
The name table-tennis bat comes from a simple picture: a small wooden bat used to hit a ball on a table. Early players used flat paddles that looked like little bats, so today the phrase means the small 'paddle' used in table tennis.