Definition of 'pool'

Word Frequency

pool

(puːl )

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense pools , present participle pooling , past tense, past participle pooled

1. countable noun

A pool is the same as a swimming pool.

...a heated indoor pool.

During winter, many people swim and the pool is crowded.

Synonyms: swimming pool, lido, swimming bath(s) [British], bathing pool [archaic] More Synonyms of pool

2. countable noun

A pool is a fairly small area of still water.

The pool had dried up and was full of bracken and reeds.

...beautiful gardens filled with pools, fountains and rare birds.

Synonyms: pond, lake, mere, tarn More Synonyms of pool

3. See also rock pool

4. countable noun

A pool of liquid or light is a small area of it on the ground or on a surface.

She was found lying in a pool of blood. [+ of]

It was raining quietly and steadily and there were little pools of water on the gravel drive.

The lamps on the side-tables threw warm pools of light on the polished wood. [+ of]

Synonyms: puddle, drop, patch, splash More Synonyms of pool

5. countable noun

A pool of people, money, or things is a quantity or number of them that is available for an organization or group to use.

The available pool of healthy manpower was not as large as military officials had expected.

The new proposal would create a reserve pool of cash. [+ of]

6. See also car pool

7. verb

If a group of people or organizations pool their money, knowledge, or equipment, they share it or put it together so that it can be used for a particular purpose.

We pooled ideas and information. [VERB noun]

Philip and I pooled our savings to start up my business. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: combine, share, merge, put together More Synonyms of pool

8. uncountable noun

Pool is a game played on a large table covered with a cloth. Players use a long stick called a cue to hit a white ball across the table so that it knocks coloured balls with numbers on them into six holes around the edge of the table.

We played pool together and were good mates.

He was shooting pool with two other men.

9. plural noun

If you do the pools, you take part in a gambling competition in which people try to win money by guessing correctly the results of football matches.

[British]

The odds of winning the pools are about one in 20 million.

More Synonyms of pool

Image of
pool

Video: pronunciation of
pool

pool in British English 1

(puːl )

noun

a small body of still water, usually fresh; small pond

a small isolated collection of liquid spilt or poured on a surface; puddle

a pool of blood

a deep part of a stream or river where the water runs very slowly

an underground accumulation of oil or gas, usually forming a reservoir in porous sedimentary rock

5. See swimming pool

Word origin

Old English pōl; related to Old Frisian pōl, German Pfuhl

Word Frequency

pool in British English 2

(puːl )

noun

any communal combination of resources, funds, etc

a car pool

the combined stakes of the betters in many gambling sports or games; kitty

3. business

a group of producers who conspire to establish and maintain output levels and high prices, each member of the group being allocated a maximum quota; price ring

4. finance, mainly US

a joint fund organized by security-holders for speculative or manipulative purposes on financial markets

the persons or parties involved in such a combination

any of various billiard games in which the object is to pot all the balls with the cue ball, esp that played with 15 coloured and numbered balls; pocket billiards

verb (transitive)

to combine (investments, money, interests, etc) into a common fund, as for a joint enterprise

7. business

to organize a pool of (enterprises)

8. Australian informal

to inform on or incriminate (someone)

Word origin

C17: from French poule, literally: hen used to signify stakes in a card game, from Medieval Latin pulla hen, from Latin pullus young animal

Word Frequency

pool in American English 1

(pul )

noun

a small pond, as in a garden

a small collection of liquid, as a puddle

swimming pool

a deep, still spot in a river

5. US

a natural, isolated, underground accumulation of oil or gas

verb intransitive

to form, or accumulate in, a pool

Word origin

ME < OE pol, akin to Du poel & Ger pfuhl, prob. ult. < IE base *bhel-, to shine, glimmer

Word Frequency

pool in American English 2

(pul )

noun

the total amount of the players' stakes played for, as in a single deal of a card game; pot

a. British

a game of billiards for such a pool

any of various games related to billiards played typically with object balls numbered from one to fifteen and a cue ball, on a pool table: the object is to pocket a ball or balls

a combination of resources, funds, etc. for some common purpose

; specif.,

a. US

the combined wagers of bettors on a horse race, participants in a lottery, etc., the gains or losses from which are to be divided proportionately

the combined investments of a group of persons or corporations undertaking, and sharing responsibility for, a joint enterprise

c. US

a common fund of stockholders, for speculation, manipulation of prices, etc.

the persons or parties forming any such combination

4. US

a combination of business firms for creating a monopoly in a particular market; trust

a collection of equipment and group of trained personnel, utilized and shared by a group

a motor pool

an informal group of people sharing in some task or responsibility

a car pool

verb transitive, verb intransitive

6. US

to contribute to a pool, or common fund; make a common interest or form a pool (of)

Word origin

Fr poule, pool, stakes, orig. hen < LL pulla, hen, fem. of L pullus (see poultry): assoc. in E with pool1

Examples of 'pool' in a sentence
pool

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…

But this place is all about the pool.Facilities include a superb pool area and relaxing sun terrace.And pooling funds keeps costs down.In the garden there's a small pool with sunloungers.She's a pool of information.Quite what Racing will bring to the final pool game is anyone's guess.The win moves Quins two points clear of Edinburgh at the top of the pool with three wins from four games.It will feature three pools - one of which will funnel sunlight through the ship's atrium to the dining room.And because the Sentido is so small, there are usually loads of sun loungers available at the pool or on the sands.The entire group pooled their money and threw it at my feet.

Word lists with
pool

Other sports

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

Score: 0 / 5

Which sport am I?

a game for two to four players who hit a wooden ball through iron hoops with mallets in order to hit a peg

croquet squash tennis

Which sport am I?

the hobby, sport, or practice of landing by parachute from an aircraft

parachuting parascending skydiving

Which sport am I?

a ball game similar to squash but played with bats or the hands

fives rackets squash

Which sport am I?

an ancient form of tennis played in a four-walled indoor court with various openings, a sloping-roofed corridor along three sides, and a buttress on the fourth side

rackets real tennis squash

Which sport am I?

the sport of lifting barbells of specified weights in a prescribed manner for competition or exercise

angling squash weightlifting

Your score:

COBUILD Collocations
pool

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pool

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In other languages
pool

British English: pool /puːl/ NOUN

resources A pool of people, money, or things is a quantity or number of them that is available for use.

The population is quite small and the available pool of talent is limited.

American English: pool /ˈpul/ resources
Arabic: مَوَارِد
Brazilian Portuguese: fundo comum
Chinese: 资源汇集
Croatian: pričuva
Czech: společný fond
Danish: pulje
Dutch: gemeenschappelijke voorziening
European Spanish: bote pozo
Finnish: yhteenliittymä
French: parc ressources
German: gemeinsame Kasse
Greek: δεξαμενή πόρων
Italian: gruppo
Japanese: 共同資金 resources
Korean: 노동력 집합소
Norwegian: sammenslutning
Polish: pula zasoby
European Portuguese: fundo comum
Romanian: fond
Russian: общий фонд
Latin American Spanish: reserva acumulado
Swedish: gemensam fond
Thai: กลุ่ม
Turkish: fon mali birikim
Ukrainian: запас
Vietnamese: nhóm người có sẵn

British English: pool /puːl/ NOUN

water A pool is a small area of still water.

I loved the Japanese water gardens with the little bridges and pools.

American English: pool /ˈpul/ water
Arabic: بَرَكَة
Brazilian Portuguese: lago
Chinese: 水塘
Croatian: bazen
Czech: jezírko
Danish: vandhul
Dutch: vijver
European Spanish: charca
Finnish: allas uima-allas
French: bassin
German: Teich
Greek: πισίνα
Italian: piscina
Japanese: 水たまり water
Korean: 웅덩이
Norwegian: basseng
Polish: basen woda
European Portuguese: lago
Romanian: bazin
Russian: бассейн
Latin American Spanish: charco
Swedish: bassäng bad
Thai: สระน้ำ
Turkish: havuz
Ukrainian: водоймище
Vietnamese: bể bơi

British English: pool VERB /puːl/

If a group of people or organizations pool their money, knowledge, or equipment, they share it or put it together so that it can be used for a particular purpose.

We pooled ideas and information.