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
pooled; pooling; pools
1
: to form a pool
2
of blood
: to accumulate or become static (as in the veins of a bodily part)
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
pooled; pooling; pools
: to combine (things, such as resources) in a common pool or effort
Synonyms
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
Paras J. Haji, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
Although these cuts would have affected close to 10 million Americans, the pool of people who receive old-age and survivor benefits is almost seven times as large.
—Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Alliance Manchester Business School, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Astros in Talks With $43 Million Free Agent Pitcher
Dodgers Pitcher Blasts Rays' and A's Relocation Plans as 'Complete BS'
A's Move to Sacramento Unpopular With Dodgers' Free Agent: Report
Under the league's current Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams pool 48 percent of their revenues each year.
—Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pool 
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Noun
Interestingly, apart from the college meets, which are usually held in a 25-yard pool, the swimmer is also set to showcase her skills at the 2024 World Short Course championships, which are held in a 25-meter pool.
—Paras J. Haji, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
Although these cuts would have affected close to 10 million Americans, the pool of people who receive old-age and survivor benefits is almost seven times as large.
—Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Verb
Cross-portfolio procurement In the world of procurement, the concept of 'consortium buying' has been established for decades, yet pooling purchase volumes across different companies often proves challenging in practice.
—Alliance Manchester Business School, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Astros in Talks With $43 Million Free Agent Pitcher
Dodgers Pitcher Blasts Rays' and A's Relocation Plans as 'Complete BS'
A's Move to Sacramento Unpopular With Dodgers' Free Agent: Report
Under the league's current Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams pool 48 percent of their revenues each year.
—Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pool
Articles Related to pool
Dictionary Entries Near pool
Cite this Entry
“Pool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pool. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pool
1 of 4 nounpool
2 of 4 verb
: to form a pool
pool
3 of 4 noun1
: 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
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