pool [poolpoolspooledpooling] noun, verb BrE [puːl] NAmE [puːl] noun
FOR SWIMMING 1. countable = ↑swimming pool • Does the hotel have a pool? •relaxing by the pool see also ↑plunge pool
OF WATER 2. countable a small area of still water, especially one that has formed naturally •freshwater pools •a rock pool (= between rocks by the sea)
OF LIQUID/LIGHT 3. countable ~ (of sth) a small amount of liquid or light lying on a surface • The body was lying in a pool of blood. •a pool of light
GROUP OF THINGS/PEOPLE 4. countable ~ (of sth) a supply of things or money that is shared by a group of people and can be used when needed •a pool of cars used by the firm's sales force •a pool car 5. countable ~ (of sth) a group of people available for work when needed •a pool of cheap labour •a typing pool (= a group of people who share a company's typing work)
GAME 6. uncountable a game for two people played with 16 balls on a table, often in pubs and bars. Players use ↑cues (= long sticks) to try to hit the balls into pockets at the edge of the table •a pool table •to shoot (= play) pool compare ↑billiards, ↑snooker
FOOTBALL 7.the poolsplural = ↑football pools • He does the pools every week. •a pools winner see also ↑gene pool
Word Origin: n. senses 1 to 3 Old English pōl West Germanic Dutch poel German Pfuhl n. senses 4 to 7 and v. late 17th cent. French poule ‘stake, kitty’ ↑pool ‘small area of liquid’
Thesaurus: pool noun C •The waterfall cascades into a small pool below. pond • • lake • a deep pool/pond/lake the edge/surface/bottom/middle of a pool/pond/lake
Example Bank: •A girl invited me over to her pool party. •A member of the press pool shouted out a question to the president. •Do you play pool? •He swam three lengths of the pool. •I left the diving pool after my session on the springboards. •I slipped on the wet pool deck and fell down. •Jack works there as a pool boy. •Rhinos are fond of wallowing in muddy pools and sandy riverbeds. •Supporting a diverse work force broadens our pool of talent. •The body lay in a dark pool of blood. •The children waded in the shallow rock pools. •The park is full of hot water springs and bubbling mud pools. •The wick floated in a pool of oil. •There's a great talent pool in the business community. •They draw on funds from a common pool. •They share a common gene pool. •They will share a limited pool of money with other defendants. •We gave the children an inflatable paddling pool for Christmas. •We need to increase our applicant pool. •You won't have to drain the pool so often. •a 25 m lap pool •a growing pool of data •a large pool of cheap labour/labor •a method of expanding the pool of potential investors •a sauna and plunge pool •a shrinking pool of assets •a strong pool of talent in the company •a unique new wave pool •a vast pool of knowledge on best practices •animals wallowing in the mud pools •babies born in birthing pools •pools of light •pools of water •the available pool of really good people •this nation's diverse talent pool •The purpose of an insurance company is to provide a pool of funds from which to meet claims made by its customers. •The waterfall cascades into the pool below. •There is a pool of cars used by the firm's salesmen. •There was a pool of water at the bottom of the garden. •They went looking for crabs in rock pools.
verb ~ sth to collect money, information, etc. from different people so that it can be used by all of them • The students work individually, then pool their ideas in groups of six. • Police forces across the country are pooling resources in order to solve this crime. Verb forms:
Word Origin: n. senses 1 to 3 Old English pōl West Germanic Dutch poel German Pfuhl n. senses 4 to 7 and v. late 17th cent. French poule ‘stake, kitty’ ↑pool ‘small area of liquid’
