shuttlecock

badminton

Also known as: bird, birdie

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Badminton is a racket sport played with a shuttlecock. The game's origins can be traced back to ancient Greece, China, and India, evolving from the game of battledore and shuttlecock. It gained popularity in England in the 1870s and was named after the Badminton estate.12

A shuttlecock, historically made of cork and goose feathers, is a lightweight, conical object used in play. Modern shuttlecocks can also be made from synthetic materials. Players use rackets made from various materials like graphite or carbon fiber to hit the shuttlecock back and forth over a net, aiming to land it within the opponent's court. The objective is to win points by making the shuttlecock fall within the boundaries or forcing an error from the opponent.132

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badminton
…with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock. The roots of the sport can be traced to the old game battledore and shuttlecock, which was played in ancient Greece, China, and India. The game was taken from India to England, where it was first played in Gloucestershire, at the country estate of…
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…with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock. The roots of the sport can be traced to the old game battledore and shuttlecock, which was played in ancient Greece, China, and India. The game was taken from India to England, where it was first played in Gloucestershire, at the country estate of…
Read More

battledore and shuttlecock
…stretched across wooden frames, and shuttlecocks, made of a base of some light material, such as cork, with trimmed feathers fixed around the top. Players try to bat the shuttlecock back and forth as many times as possible without allowing it to fall to the ground. Ancient Greek drawings represent…
Read More
…stretched across wooden frames, and shuttlecocks, made of a base of some light material, such as cork, with trimmed feathers fixed around the top. Players try to bat the shuttlecock back and forth as many times as possible without allowing it to fall to the ground. Ancient Greek drawings represent…
Read More