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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

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

Explanation

A pool is a small body of water, like the tide pools that form on rocky beaches at low tide, or the town pool where you take swimming lessons. Pool is a common word with many different meanings. Pools are natural and human-made collections of water, from deep plunge pools at the base of a waterfall to rectangular reflecting pools in parks. A pool is also a supply of something, like workers or money. As a verb, pool means "to combine": "Let's pool our resources and go to Disneyland!" Then there's the game called pool, whose name comes from players vying for a pool of cash.

Example Sentences

The kitchen is complemented by a breakfast alcove that is nestled into a windowed nook overlooking the back porch and the swimming pool.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Wales crashed out at the pool stage of the World Cup and are still finding their feet under three-time Premiership Women's Rugby-winning head coach Sean Lynn.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The debate swirls around something called the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, an old edict which gave leagues an antitrust exemption to pool their media rights.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Singh’s business faced challenges earlier this year when a crackdown on immigrant drivers led to sudden departures, shrinking the available labor pool and leaving 15 of his trucks unused.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Then he plants his hands on the pool deck and heaves himself out.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

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