badminton原來是一個地名，這是19世紀末英國波弗特公爵在格洛斯特州的一塊周長十英里的方形莊園的名稱。擁有地產、莊園，在當時英國人的生活中可謂一種“時尚”。Badminton這個詞曾一度指“紅葡萄酒”或“蘇打水”。這當然同在這塊土地上的生活分不開，不過后來人們漸漸不再這樣使用這個詞。
1873年，英國人首次將羽毛球運動從印度搬到英國的這個莊園里來，不久公爵的這塊領地的名稱的小寫badminton便成了這項體育運動的代名詞。
Court or lawn game played with light long-handled rackets and a shuttlecock volleyed over a net. The game is named after the residence of Britain's duke of Beaufort, where it supposedly originated c. 1873. Officially sanctioned badminton matches are played indoors to protect the shuttlecock from winds. Play consists entirely of hitting the shuttlecock back and forth without letting it touch the floor or ground. The best-known match is the All-England Championships. Badminton became a full-medal sport at the 1992 Olympics. The world governing body is the International Federation of Badminton in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Eng.
