[ten.nis] n, often attrib [ME tenetz, tenys, prob. fr. AF tenetz, 2d pers. pl. imper. of tenir to hold--more at tenable] (15c) 1: court tennis
2: an indoor or outdoor game that is played with rackets and a light elastic ball by two players or pairs of players on a level court (as of clay or grass) divided by a low net