pool

1 of 4

noun (1)

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

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
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

Examples of pool in a Sentence

Noun (1) a secluded pool that has long been a locally favored spot for skinny-dipping Noun (2) a large pool of applicants for the summer internship a pool of ideas ready to use whenever the cartoonist needs to meet a deadline office workers setting up a pool for the collective purchase of lottery tickets two coworkers split last week's football pool
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Native Plant Garden—a tranquil area with a glassy pool at its center, surrounded by a footbridge and wooden benches—became my go-to spot that fall. Grace McCarty, SELF, 9 Oct. 2024 In fact, one in six bosses is now hesitant to hire fresh college grads at all, with some even considering skipping next year’s pool of graduates altogether. Soulaima Gourani, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
Verb
Miles cards users need to keep track of which cards garners the most miles, as well as understand the fine print: bonus categories, exclusions, and factors such as points pooling from different cards from the same bank. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2024 Meanwhile, the roof has a sloped design and gutter downspouts to avoid rain pooling on the roof resulting in leaks. Shea Simmons, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pool 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pool.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pool was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pool

Cite this Entry

“Pool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pool. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pool

1 of 4 noun
1
: a small deep body of water
2
: a small body of standing liquid : puddle
3

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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on pool

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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