# jai alai

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhaɪlaɪ/

## Definitions
1. a Basque ball game in which the players propel the ball using a long basket attached to the wrist

## Etymology
From Spanish, from Basque jai (“festival”) + alai (“merry”), coined by 19th century writer Serafín Baroja in order to replace the non-native name pilota. However, although jai alai is composed of Basque words, it is not the name actually used in Basque.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/jai-alai