pelota

views updated May 23 2018

pelota Generic name given to a range of games in which a small, hard ball is hit with gloved or bare hand or with a scoop-shaped wicker racket known as a cesta. Enjoyed mostly in the Basque regions of Spain and France, and in South America, pelota games can be played across a net or against a wall in a two- or three-sided court known as a fronto. Jai alai, the fastest of all pelota games, is played by professionals.

pelota

views updated May 23 2018

pe·lo·ta / pəˈlōtə/ • n. a Basque or Spanish game played in a walled court with a ball and basketlike rackets attached to the hand. ∎  the ball used in such a game.

pelota

views updated May 18 2018

pelota Basque game played in a court with a ball. XIX. — Sp. pelota ball — OF. pelote; see PELLET.