/ puːl; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
FOR SWIMMING
1.
[ C ] = swimming pool :
Does the hotel have a pool?
relaxing by the pool
—see also plunge pool
OF WATER
2.
[ C ] 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.
[ C ] pool (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.
[ C ] pool (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.
[ C ] pool (of sth) a group of people available for work when needed :
a pool of cheap labour
GAME
6.
[ U ] a game for two people played with 16 coloured 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 pools [ pl. ] = football pools :
He does the pools every week.
a pools winner
—see also gene pool
■ verb
[ vn ] 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.
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WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 1 to 3 Old English pōl , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch poel and German Pfuhl .
noun senses 4 to 7 and verb late 17th cent. (originally denoting a game of cards having a pool): from French poule in the sense stake, kitty, associated with pool small area of liquid .