pool

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpül 

1

a(1)

: a small and rather deep body of usually fresh water

(2)

: a quiet place in a stream

(3)

: a body of water forming above a dam

b

: something resembling a pool

a pool of light

2

: a small body of standing liquid

3

: a continuous area of porous sedimentary rock that yields petroleum or gas

4

: swimming pool

pool

2 of 4

verb (1)

pooled; pooling; pools

intransitive verb

1

: to form a pool

2

of blood : to accumulate or become static (as in the veins of a bodily part)

pool

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

a

: an aggregate stake to which each player of a game has contributed

b

: all the money bet by a number of persons on a particular event

2

a

: a game played on an English billiard table in which each of the players stakes a sum and the winner takes all

b

: any of various games of billiards played on an oblong table having 6 pockets with usually 15 object balls

3

: an aggregation of the interests or property of different persons made to further a joint undertaking by subjecting them to the same control and a common liability

4

: a readily available supply: such as

a

: the whole quantity of a particular material present in the body and available for function or the satisfying of metabolic demands

b

: a body product (such as blood) collected from many donors and stored for later use

c

: a group of people available for some purpose

a shrinking pool of applicants

typing pool

5

: gene pool

6

: a group of journalists from usually several news organizations using pooled resources (such as television equipment) to produce shared coverage especially of events to which access is restricted

pool

4 of 4

verb (2)

pooled; pooling; pools

transitive verb

: to combine (things, such as resources) in a common pool or effort

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• billabong [Australian]
• mere [chiefly British]
• puddle
• stank [British dialect]
• well

Noun (2)

• force
• help
• labor force
• manpower
• personnel
• staff
• workforce

Examples of pool in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Gone was the piano bar, gym, spa, tiki hut and pool, dining hall where wedding receptions and parties were held and the waterfront restaurant which was open to the public and counted Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez among its regulars. —Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2024

That means that the Panthers can continue to fill their depth chart with young talent through the remaining pool of prospects left over from the draft. —Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2024

Balconies and private terraces look out towards the lush gardens and pool. —Monica Mendal, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2024

The resort also offers a kiddie pool, water playground, and lagoon-style pool where dive-in movies are screened in the evening. —Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024

For one, the price tag for TikTok’s U.S. business — which is unknown — is expected to be high enough to severely limit the pool of investors and companies who’d be able to afford it. —Didi Tang, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024

Sleeping 12 guests in five cabins with accommodation for nine crew, the yacht puts entertainment first by doubling down on many amenities, including two bars, two pools, two cinemas and two wine cellars. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 26 Apr. 2024

There’s a 24-hour fitness studio as well as outdoor pools overlooking the ocean. —Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024

And four months had passed since the board's approval for that house, which included a four-car garage and a 630-square-foot pool house, expired. —Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024

Verb

Cottages range between 700 to 2,500 square feet, so there’s room to spread out, and available activities run the gamut from sports courts and spa treatments to pool time and parasailing. —Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024

Border Patrol chief says tougher policies needed to deter migrants crossings United now allows travelers to pool their air miles with others In: Bob Menendez Tammy Murphy Aliza Chasan Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. —Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2024

Looking at the current market, Colette dug into a trend among Hispanic households: co-borrowing to afford a mortgage and pooling together resources to pay the mortgage. —Nikita Stewart, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024

The joint venture will pool ESPN+ and the companies’ linear TV networks that carry sports programming (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS and truTV). —Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024

Three coworkers pooled their money to buy multiple tickets after seeing the $1 billion Powerball jackpot, according to an April 15 news release by the Maryland Lottery. —Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024

Kruger also helped run the Grow Solar Greater Milwaukee program, which allows homeowners and businesses to pool their purchasing power to buy solar panels at a lower cost. —Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024

In 2019, two researchers from the University of Oxford pooled data on digital technology use and well-being in adolescents and concluded that screens do have a slight negative impact on well-being, but that the effect was very small. —Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 29 Mar. 2024

Fluids can also pool in this area, leading to swelling. —Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English pōl; akin to Old High German pfuol pool

Noun (2)

French poule, literally, hen, from Old French, feminine of poul cock — more at pullet

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb (1)

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

circa 1780, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pool

• car pool
• dirty pool
• gene pool
• infinity pool
• motor pool
• paddling pool
• pool resources
• swimming pool
• tide pool
• wading pool
• wave pool

Kids Definition

pool

1 of 4 noun

ˈpül 

1

: a small deep body of water

2

: a small body of standing liquid : puddle

3

: swimming pool

pool

2 of 4 verb

: to form a pool

pool

3 of 4 noun

1

: the money bet by a number of persons on an event or in a game

2

: a game played on a billiard table having six pockets with usually 15 object balls

3

: a common fund for making investments

4

a

: a readily available supply

a pool of talent

a typing pool

b

: a group sharing in some activity

a car pool

pool

4 of 4 verb

: to contribute to a common fund or effort

pooled their resources

Etymology

Noun

Old English pōl "a small body of water"

Noun

from French poule "the amount of money bet in a card game," literally, "hen," derived from early French poul "a male chicken, cock" — related to pullet

Medical Definition

pool

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈpül 

of blood

: to accumulate or become static (as in the veins of a bodily part)

blood pooled in his legs

pool

2 of 2 noun

: a readily available supply: as

a

: the whole quantity of a particular material present in the body and available for function or the satisfying of metabolic demands see gene pool, metabolic pool

b

: a body product (as blood) collected from many donors and stored for later use

Legal Definition

pool

1 of 2 noun

1

: an aggregation of the interests, obligations, or undertakings of several parties working together

an insurance pool

2

: a group of people available for some purpose see also jury pool

pool

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to combine (as assets or votes) in a common form or effort

especially : to combine (interests) so as not to have a merger of companies considered a purchase for accounting purposes