pool

¹ American  

[pool] / pul /

noun

1. a small body of standing water; pond.

2. a still, deep place in a stream.

3. any small collection of liquid on a surface.

   a pool of blood.

4. a puddle.

5. swimming pool.

6. a subterranean accumulation of oil or gas held in porous and permeable sedimentary rock reservoir.

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verb (used without object)

1. to form a pool.

2. (of blood) to accumulate in a body part or organ.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause pools to form in.

2. to cause (blood) to form pools.

adjective

1. of or for a pool.

   pool filters.

2. taking place or occurring around or near a pool.

   a pool party.

pool ² American  

[pool] / pul /

noun

1. Also called pocket billiards.  any of various games played on a pool table with a cue ball and 15 other balls that are usually numbered, in which the object is to drive all the balls into the pockets with the cue ball.

2. the total amount staked by a combination of bettors, as on a race, to be awarded to the successful bettor or bettors.

3. the combination of such bettors.

4. an association of competitors who agree to control the production, market, and price of a commodity for mutual benefit, although they appear to be rivals.

   Synonyms:

   monopoly, corner

5. Finance. a combination of persons or organizations for the purpose of manipulating the prices of securities.

6. a combination of resources, funds, etc., for common advantage.

7. the combined interests or funds.

8. a facility, resource, or service that is shared by a group of people.

   a car pool;

   The Psychology department has built up a large participant pool for experiments.

9. the persons or parties involved.

10. the stakes in certain games.

11. British. a billiard game.

12. Fencing. a match in which each teammate successively plays against each member of the opposing team.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put (resources, money, etc.) into a pool, or common stock or fund, as for a financial venture, according to agreement.

   Synonyms:

   consolidate, merge, combine

2. to form a pool of.

3. to make a common interest of.

verb (used without object)

1. to enter into or form a pool.

adjective

1. of or belonging to a pool.

   a pool reporter;

   Pool research assistants will be assigned to code and enter the data.

pool ¹ British  

/ puːl /

noun

1. any communal combination of resources, funds, etc

   a typing pool

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

3. commerce 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

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

   2. the persons or parties involved in such a combination

5. 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

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verb

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

2. commerce to organize a pool of (enterprises)

3. informal to inform on or incriminate (someone)

pool ² British  

/ puːl /

noun

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

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

   a pool of blood

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

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

5. See swimming pool

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Other Word Forms

• pooler noun

Etymology

Origin of pool¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English pol, pole, Old English pōl; cognate with Dutch poel, German Pfuhl

Origin of pool²

First recorded in 1685–95; from French poule “collective stakes in a game,” literally, “hen”; pullet

Example Sentences

Fundraising for healthcare venture capitalists these days is a slog—but some are overcoming a tough market to corral new investment pools.

From The Wall Street Journal

The ceremonial value of Valentine’s Day lies in its role as what economists call a pooling equilibrium: Couples in very different situations behave the same way.

From The Wall Street Journal

By day he joined guests, mainly Western tourists, in pool sessions of aerobics and water polo, while at night he helped stage dance shows and quizzes.

From BBC

Note: Third round pool play games Tuesday at higher seeds; Quarterfinals Feb. 20; Semifinals Feb. 24; Finals Feb. 28 at Toyota Arena.

From Los Angeles Times

“The market is increasingly pricing dispersion and separating likely AI beneficiaries from businesses where AI could compress margins or automate away fee pools.”

From Barron's

Related Words

• basin
• bath
• lagoon
• lake
• pond
• puddle
• swimming pool
• tank