English

Alternative forms

• ping-pong

Noun

ping pong ‎(uncountable)

1. Table tennis.
   • 1900, Daily Chronicle, published 1905, May 8, page 6/6:

     Our correspondent seems to hope that the unclean, playing Ping-Pong with the clean, will become unpleasantly conscious of his uncleanness and reform.

2. (figuratively) An instance of figuratively bouncing something or someone back and forth.
   • 1909, Thaddeus L. Bolton, “On the Efficacy of Consciousness”, in Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge and Wendell T. Bush, editor, The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, volume 6, New York: The Science Press, page 424:

     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.

3. (Britain, Parliament) The exchange of proposed amendments between the two houses of parliament, particularly at the end of a session when compromises have to be made to complete the legislative process within the limited time available.
4. (dated) A size of photograph a little larger than a postage stamp.
   • 1909, James Boniface Schriever, Commercial, press, scientific photography (page 401)

     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.

Related terms

• ping pong ball

Derived terms

• aerial ping pong
• ping pong show
• ping-pongist

Translations

Descendants

• Greek: πινγκ πονγκ ‎(pinnk ponnk)
• Japanese: ピンポン ‎(pin pon)
• Spanish: ping pong
• Russian: пинг-понг ‎(ping-pong)

Verb

ping pong ‎(third-person singular simple present ping pongs, present participle ping ponging, simple past and past participle ping ponged)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To figuratively bounce or be bounced back and forth.
2. (intransitive) To play the game of ping pong.

See also

• gossima
• table tennis
• whiff-whaff

References

1. ↑ USPTO trademark serial numbers 71295230, 71295231 and 71564016

Italian

Noun

ping pong m ‎(invariable)

1. ping pong

Synonyms

• ping-pong
• tennis da tavolo
• tennis tavolo

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [piŋˈpo̞ŋ], [pimˈpo̞n]

Etymology

Through English ping pong, from a trademark. See more at ping pong.

Noun

ping pong m ‎(uncountable)

• (sports) ping pong

Synonyms

• tenis de mesa

Derived terms

• pelota de ping pong