Pool

puːl

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
5 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

5 meanings
1

An artificial basin filled with water for swimming, especially as a recreational facility.

puːl

nounneutralBeginner
General

An artificial body of water for swimming or other recreational activities.

The children spent the whole afternoon playing in the pool.

💡 Simply: A pool is like a giant bathtub outside where you can swim and have fun! Like at the community center or in your backyard. Remember the last time you went swimming?

👶 For kids: A pool is a big tub of water where you can swim!

More Examples

2

We relaxed by the pool, enjoying the sunshine.

3

The lifeguard is responsible for the safety of everyone in the pool.

How It's Used

Recreation

"The hotel has a large outdoor pool."

Residential

"Many houses in the area have private pools."

2

A shared or combined supply of resources, funds, information, or people, available for common use.

puːl

nounneutralmedium
General

A shared supply of resources or funds.

The company created a talent pool to recruit skilled employees.

💡 Simply: A pool can also be when a bunch of people share something, like money or cars. Like when you share rides with coworkers in a car pool to get to work.

👶 For kids: A pool can be sharing things like money or rides.

More Examples

2

We formed a car pool to reduce traffic congestion.

3

They contributed to a pool of money to buy a gift.

How It's Used

Finance

"The company established a resource pool to manage its IT infrastructure."

Business

"We have a car pool to reduce our carbon footprint."

Tip:Think of resources that are collected and shared among people, like a carpool.
3

A game played on a billiard table with colored balls and a cue.

puːl

nounneutralBeginner
General

A game played on a billiard table.

He is a skilled player of pool.

💡 Simply: Pool is a game you play on a special table with balls and a stick. It's like a more challenging version of billiards!

👶 For kids: Pool is a game with balls and sticks on a table!

More Examples

2

They enjoyed a friendly game of pool at the pub.

3

The pool table was set up in the recreation room.

How It's Used

Games

"He challenged his friend to a game of pool."

Leisure

"They spent the evening playing pool at the bar."

Tip:Think of the game with balls and sticks.
4

To combine resources or funds into a common supply.

puːl

verbneutralmedium
General

To combine resources or funds.

We pooled our money to buy a gift.

💡 Simply: To pool means to put your money or resources together with others. It's like a group effort.

👶 For kids: To pool is to share things with others to do something.

More Examples

2

The companies pooled their data to conduct the research.

3

They pooled their efforts to complete the project on time.

How It's Used

Business

"They pooled their resources to start the business."

Finance

"We will pool all the data to derive insights."

Tip:Imagine combining all the resources into one pool.
5

To move through a body of water by swimming.

puːl

verbneutralBeginner
General

They went to the lake to pool.

💡 Simply: To pool means to swim in a pool or body of water.

👶 For kids: To pool means to swim!

More Examples

2

After the race, the athletes pooled in the nearby lake.

How It's Used

Recreation

"She loved to pool in the ocean."

Sports

"After practice, the team decided to pool in the lake."

Tip:Imagine yourself swimming and splashing in a pool or in a lake.

Idioms & expressions

pool resources

To combine or share resources for a common purpose.

"We pooled our resources to build a community garden."

From Old English *pōl* meaning 'pool, pond', cognate with Dutch *poel* and German *Pfuhl*. The meaning broadened over time.

The word 'pool' has been used since Old English times, initially to describe a small body of water and later extending to other combined resources and games.

Memory tip

Think of the place where you swim and splash water: the pool.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
swimming pooltalent poolpool resourcescar poolpool money

Common misspellings

polepull

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written