ping-pong

Noun

ping pong (countable and uncountable, plural ping pongs)

1. Table tennis.
   • Our correspondent seems to hope that the unclean, playing Ping-Pong with the clean, will become unpleasantly conscious of his uncleanness and reform.1900, Daily Chronicle, published 1905, May 8, page 6/6

   Synonyms:

   flim-flam, whiff-whaff, gossima

2. (figuratively) An instance of figuratively bouncing something or someone back and forth.
   • 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.1909, Thaddeus L. Bolton, “On the Efficacy of Consciousness”, in Frederick James Eugene Woodbridge, Wendell T. Bush, editors, The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, volume 6...
3. (UK) The exchange of proposed amendments between the House of Commons and House of Lords, 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.
   • 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.1909, James Boniface Schriever, Commercial, press, scientific photography, page 401
5. A small, shallow steelpan drum.
   • Most ping pongs were 35- to 45-gallon drums. The larger drum had room for more notes; the tones were also louder and clearer and could be sustained longer.2012, Angela Smith, Steel Drums and Steelbands: A History, page 158

See all 8 meanings of ping pong