jai alai

jai a·lai

J0009900 (hī′ lī′, hī′ ə-lī′, hī′ ə-lī′)n. A court game in which players use a long hand-shaped basket strapped to the wrist to propel a ball against a wall.

[Spanish, from Basque : jai, festival + alai, joyous.]

jai alai

(ˈhaɪ ˈlaɪ; ˈhaɪ əˌlaɪ; ˌhaɪ əˈlaɪ) n (Ball Games, other than specified) a version of pelota played by two or four players[via Spanish from Basque, from jai game, festival + alai merry]

jai a•lai

(ˈhaɪ ˌlaɪ, ˈhaɪ əˌlaɪ, ˌhaɪ əˈlaɪ)
n. a game resembling handball, played on a three-walled court by two, four, or six players who use a long, curved wicker basket (cesta) strapped to the wrist to catch and throw a small, hard ball against the front wall.Compare fronton. [1905–10; < Sp < Basque, =jai holiday, feast + alai merry]

jai alai

A Basque phrase meaning joyous game, used to mean a court game in which players propel and catch a ball using a special basket strapped to the hand.

Thesaurus

Noun

jai alai - a Basque or Spanish game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racketpelotacourt game - an athletic game played on a court

jai alai

(hī`lī'), handball-like game of Spanish Basque origin. It is also called pelota. Jai alai is played on a three-walled court with a hard rubber ball that must be hurled against the front wall with the cesta, a wicker basket attached to the player's arm. The court is about 175 ft (53 m) long, 40 ft (12.2 m) wide, and 40 ft (12.2 m) high. Spectators sit behind a wire fence or plexiglass wall on the fourth side. To their right is the front wall, or frontis. The object is to hurl the ball against the front wall in such a way that it cannot be returned. The ball may hit the side or rear wall, but not the spectator wall, before striking the frontis. The ball, which reaches speeds of 150 mph (240 kph), is caught in the cesta and thrown in a continuous motion. Jai alai is played as either singles or doubles with scoring similar to that of court handball. Betting on games is popular; parimutuel wagering is legal in a few U.S. states. Jai alai is also popular in parts of Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, and the Philippines.

jai alai

jai a·lai

jai alai

jai a•lai

jai alai

jai alai

jai alai

jai alai

Synonyms for jai alai

noun a Basque or Spanish game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racket

Synonyms

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