carom

1 of 2

noun

car·​om ˈker-əm 

ˈka-rəm

1

a

: a shot in billiards in which the cue ball strikes each of two object balls

b

: a shot in pool in which an object ball strikes another ball before falling into a pocket compare combination shot

2

: a rebounding especially at an angle

carom

2 of 2

verb

caromed; caroming; caroms

intransitive verb

1

: to strike and rebound : glance

the car caromed off a tree

2

: to make a carom

3

: to proceed by or as if by caroms

carom from city to city

Synonyms of carom

Verb

• bounce
• rebound
• ricochet

Examples of carom in a Sentence

Verb

a ball caromed off the wall

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hernández wasn’t in a position to play the carom, and the ball rolled to the left-field warning track. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 May 2026

Killorn tracked down the hard carom and quickly fed Sennecke. —Eric Stephens, New York Times, 11 May 2026

Verb

Carolina eventually forced overtime, but the Golden Knights won in double OT when Shea Theodore bounced a puck off the boards that caromed off goalie Brandon Bussi's skate. —ABC News, 9 June 2026

The ball caromed high off the rim, and San Antonio’s Devin Vassell leapt to catch it. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

by shortening & alteration from obsolete carambole, from Spanish carambola

First Known Use

Noun

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carom

• arum
• ferrum
• harem
• alarum
• antiserum

Kids Definition

carom

1 of 2 noun

car·​om ˈkar-əm 

: a rebounding especially at an angle

carom

2 of 2 verb

: to strike and rebound at an angle