ping-pong
ping-pong — noun
1. The official trademark name for the equipment used in table tennis, originally r
The official trademark name for the equipment used in table tennis, originally registered by a British sports company in the late 1800s.
The word Ping-Pong is still a registered trademark owned by a company in the United Kingdom.
trademark status: still a registered trademark
Ping-Pong paddles and balls are sold under the official trademark label.
Most people do not realize that Ping-Pong was once a protected brand name, not a general term.
The old box from the 1920s still carried the original Ping-Pong trademark stamp.
用法筆記
Written with capital letters P and P when referring to the trademark. In everyday conversation, the lowercase form 'ping-pong' is widely used for the game itself.
2. A fast indoor game where two or four players use small paddles to hit a lightwei
A fast indoor game where two or four players use small paddles to hit a lightweight hollow ball across a table that is divided by a low net.
Every Friday evening, Haruto plays ping-pong with his classmates in the school gym.
collocation: play ping-pong
Nadia bought a foldable ping-pong table for her family's basement.
The children spent the whole afternoon enjoying a game of ping-pong at summer camp.
Diego won first place in the local ping-pong tournament last Saturday.
- table tennis
The formal, non-trademark name for the same sport; preferred in official competitions.
用法筆記
Usually uncountable when referring to the activity ('We played ping-pong'), but countable when referring to a match ('We had a game of ping-pong').
常見錯誤
ping-pong — verb
- ping-pongpresent simple I / you / we / they
- ping-pongs3rd person singular
- ping-ponging-ing form
- ping-pongedpast simple
1. To move rapidly from one side to the other, repeatedly changing direction, like
To move rapidly from one side to the other, repeatedly changing direction, like a ball during a game of table tennis.
The tennis ball ping-ponged between the two players during the long rally.
intransitive: ping-ponged between [two things]
The kitten's eyes ping-ponged from the toy mouse to the dangling string.
Lukas watched the raindrops ping-pong down the windowpane in the storm.
The small red light ping-ponged across the control panel before the alarm went off.
文法句型
ping-pong + adverb phrase
ping-pong between + noun phrase
用法筆記
Intransitive only — the thing that moves is the subject. The direction is introduced with between, from...to, or across.
常見錯誤
2. To change quickly and repeatedly between two different activities, subjects, moo
To change quickly and repeatedly between two different activities, subjects, moods, or opinions, without settling on one.
The committee ping-ponged between two proposals for hours without reaching any agreement.
intransitive: ping-ponged between [options]
Kwame's mood ping-ponged from excitement to anxiety all day before the job interview.
The conversation ping-ponged between serious work talk and silly jokes.
Nora's thoughts ping-ponged from the exam to her family and back again.
文法句型
ping-pong between + noun phrase
ping-pong from + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
Subject is typically a non-human entity (mood, conversation, committee) or a mental state. Not used with a direct object.
常見錯誤
3. To send something back and forth between two or more people, groups, or departme
To send something back and forth between two or more people, groups, or departments, often causing delay or confusion.
The application was ping-ponged between three different departments before it finally got approved.
common in passive: be ping-ponged between [groups]
The two companies ping-ponged the contract draft back and forth for several weeks.
Ananya's complaint was ping-ponged from one customer service agent to another for an entire hour.
The hospital ping-ponged the patient's records between two different offices.
- shuttle
More neutral; can be positive (shuttling guests to the airport).
- bandy about
Similar meaning but implies casual or careless handling.
文法句型
be ping-ponged between + noun phrase
ping-pong + noun + between + noun phrase
用法筆記
Very often used in the passive voice ('was ping-ponged'). The subject doing the ping-ponging is typically an organization or system, not a single person acting alone.