I. ˈpül noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English pōl; akin to Middle Low German pōl pool, Old High German pfuol
1.
a.
(1) : a small and rather deep body of fresh water (as one fed by a spring)
(2) : a quiet place in a stream
(3) : a reservoir for water
(4) : a body of water forming above a dam or the closed gates of a lock
(5) : tide pool
b. : something held to resemble a pool (as in form, depth, quiet)
a pool of silence enveloped them — Louis Bromfield
rests quietly in the deep pool of memory — William Beebe
sunlight lay … in fresh pools of cool light — Gordon Merrick
his eyes are deep pools of self-confession — Howard Taubman
2. : a small body of standing or stagnant water or other liquid : puddle
saw the small pool of blood
3. : a continuous area of porous sedimentary rock which yields petroleum or gas on drilling
4.
a. : swimming pool
b. : wading pool
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
1. : to form a pool
swift-flowing water that pooled and snaked down between the rocks and ice — Atlantic
now the drops run and pool together — V.S.Pritchett
2. of blood : to accumulate or become static (as in the veins and capillaries of a body part or organ)
become tourniquets, preventing the blood from pooling — Time
transitive verb
1.
a. : to cut (a hole) to insert a wedge for splitting (as in mining or quarrying)
b. : to undercut or undermine (as coal) especially in excavating
2. : to form pools in
was deeply rutted and pooled with rain — Evan Coombes
3. : to cause (blood) to pool usually as a result of defective circulation
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: French poule stakes in a card game, literally, hen — more at pullet
1.
a.
(1) : an aggregate stake to which each player of a game has contributed
(2) : an old game of cards in which there is a pool
sat down with her female friends to a pool of cards and a dish of coffee — W.M.Thackeray
also : a party of players for such a game
b. : all the money bet by a number of persons on the result of a particular event with the aggregate to be paid to the winner or divided among several winners according to conditions established in advance
2.
a. : a game played on an English billiard table in which each of the players stakes a certain sum with the winner taking all ; also : a game at a public billiard room
b. : any of various games of billiards played on a pool table having six pockets with usually 15 object balls that may be numbered or plain and a cue ball — see continuous pool , fifteen ball , snooker ; compare carom billiards
3.
a. : any aggregation of the interests or property of different persons made to further a joint undertaking or end by subjecting them to the same control and a common liability: as
(1) : a common fund or combination of interests for the common adventure in buying or selling ; especially : one for speculating in or manipulating the market price of securities, grain, or other commodities
(2) : a combination between competing business houses or corporations for the control of traffic by removing competition
b. : the persons who so combine their interests or property — see trust
4. : a fencing contest in which each member of a team successively engages each member of another team
5. : a readily available supply: as
a.
(1) : the whole quantity of material or of a particular substance present in the body and freely available for function or the satisfying of metabolic demands of the cells (as of blood in the capillaries or of neurons available to complete various neural circuits)
the circulating metabolic pool
the acetate pool
(2) : a body product (as blood or one of its derivatives) collected from many donors and stored for later use (as for transfusions or a source of antibodies)
b.
(1) : an aggregation usually made by a group and used mutually for the benefit of all
a pool of ideas contributed by a wide range of experienced teachers — Geographical Journal
(2) : a group of separately owned objects used cooperatively for the benefit of all concerned ; especially : car pool
c.
(1) : the total manpower available in an area
armies … can be readily reinforced in case of emergency from the reserve pool — Joseph Rosenfarb
(2) : a group of employees held in readiness by an employer for assignment as needed
a stenographic pool
(3) : a skilled trained group especially in a specialized field capable of being utilized
a pool of brilliant scientists who accelerate the development of atomic power — T.E.Murray
a pool of trained actors and directors who will impose less limitation on the playwright — Henry Hewes
d. : the total amount often of a strategic material or resource that is for use or in reserve
new oil discoveries are wanted to replenish the pool
the government with unlimited access to the paper pool — Lucien Price
its enormous pool of patents — New Republic
6. : an installation which maintains and administers a supply of something ; especially : motor pool
IV. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
: to put together in a pool : contribute to a common fund or effort often on the basis of a mutual division of profits or losses or an equal share of benefits : make a common interest of
would pool their money now and … put a real show on the road — F.B.Gipson
special consultants have pooled their talents and knowledge — L.R.Sander
teachers … had again pooled their experiences — Lucy S. Mitchell
intransitive verb
: to organize a pool : combine with others in a pool
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Russian pul — more at pul
: pul 1
VI. noun
Etymology: pool (III)
1. pools plural , often attributive , chiefly Britain : an organized sports betting system in which a bettor submits predicted outcomes of several contests and pooled money is awarded to those whose predictions were correct
2. : a group of journalists from usually several news organizations using pooled resources (as television equipment) to produce shared coverage especially of events to which access is restricted