[pl. of FIVE sb., used as sing.
The reason for the name is obscure. The conjecture that the game may originally have been played by five persons on each side appears to be unsupported by evidence; the 16th c. game of BORD AND CORD (see quot. s.v.) is stated to have been on one occasion played ‘five against five’; but the two games had apparently nothing in common except that they were games of ball played with the hands. The slang use of fives for the hand (see FIVE B 3 b) has not been found until long after the appearance of the name of the game; otherwise it would afford a plausible explanation: cf. Fr. jeu de paume, which originally denoted hand-tennis, though afterwards transferred to the later tennis played with rackets. The statement common in Dicts., that the name was given ‘because three fives, or fifteen, are counted to the game,’ is unsatisfactory: the number of ‘points’ in the Eton game is 15, but they are not divided into groups of five, and in other varieties there are 11, 20, or 25 points.]
1. A game in which a ball is struck by the hand against the front wall of a three-sided court. A variety of the game, in which a wooden bat is used, is called bat-fives.
1636. H. Burton, Div. Trag. lately Acted, 8. Severely admonished by his Mother, when shee understood he had a purpose on satturday night, to goe on the Lords day with other companions to Stoake to play at a sport, called fiues.
1726. Amherst, Terræ Fil., xxxiv. (1741), 179. The old ball-court, where I have had many a game at fives.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., II. iii. 88. Hand-tennis still continues to be played, though under a different name, and probably a different modification of the game; is now called fives, which denomination perhaps it might receive from having five competitors on each side.
1862. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, xxxv. The little man was playing at fives against the bare wall.
2. attrib. and Comb., as fives-ball, -bat, -player; fives-court, a prepared court where the game of fives is played; also collect. for the persons who frequent a fives-court.
1825. in Hone, Every Day Bk., I. 863. ‘I made the first *fives-ball,’ says Mrs. Tomes, ‘that was ever thrown up against Copenhagen-house.’
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. ix. (1871), 184. Splicing a favourite old *fives’-bat which had sprung.
1822. Hazlitt, Table-t., I. ix. 205. Cavanagh was the admiration of all the *fives-courts, where he ever played.
1819. Sporting Mag., III. 210. Cavanagh, the famous hand *fives-player.
