for swimming
1 [C] = SWIMMINGPOOL:
Does the hotel have a pool? * relaxing by the 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] ~ (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] ~ (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 salesmen * a pool car
5 [C] ~ (of sth) a group of people available for work when needed:
a large pool of software engineers * a pool of cheap labour * a typing pool (= a group of people who share a company's typing work)
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 / hall * to shoot (= play) pool
compareBILLIARDS, SNOOKER
football
7 (the pools) = FOOTBALLPOOLS:
He does the pools every week. * a pools winner
seealsoGENEPOOL
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.
