pools

British

/ puːlz /

plural noun

Also called: football pools. an organized nationwide principally postal gambling pool betting on the result of football matches

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pools

C20: from _pool ² (in the sense: a gambling kitty)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are large pools of cash eager to back new AI companies, and the first mover will get first dibs.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

There’s a 23-bedroom main house, 16 bedroom guesthouse and a heap of amenities including a movie theater, wellness facility, tennis court and multiple swimming pools.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The company contracts with state governments to administer Medicaid benefits, and BofA Securities believes that business will improve over the next few years as risk pools stabilize.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Traditionally, scientists have focused on environments such as drying pools on land or hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean as likely settings for the origin of life.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

Sometimes people turn them into pools and flower beds.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023