Meaning & use
pool
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Meanings
nouncountable
A small area of still water, either natural or built for swimming.
Grammar: You can say a pool or pools; it often appears with 'swimming' or 'in'.
Patterns
- swimming pool
- in the pool
- a pool of water
The children swam in the pool all afternoon.
After the rain, a small pool formed on the path.
The hotel has an outdoor pool.
verbtransitive
To combine money, resources, or efforts from different people for a shared purpose.
Grammar: Takes an object: pool your money; often used with 'together'.
Patterns
- pool something
- pool money
- pool resources
- pool together
We pooled our money to buy a gift.
The companies pooled their research efforts.
If we pool our ideas, we can finish faster.
noununcountable
A game similar to billiards played on a table with six pockets and numbered balls.
Grammar: No plural; used without 'a' when talking about the game.
Patterns
- play pool
- a game of pool
- pool table
They played pool in the basement.
He is very good at pool.
There is a pool table in the bar.
nouncountable
A group of people available to do a particular job or provide a service.
Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'a pool of' followed by a plural noun.
Patterns
- a pool of workers
- typing pool
- car pool
The hospital has a large pool of nurses.
She joined the typing pool at the office.
We formed a car pool to save money.
Word forms
| plural | pools |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pools |
| past tense | pooled |
| past participle | pooled |
| -ing form | pooling |
Common combinations
- swimming pool
- The swimming pool is open until 9 p.m.
- pool resources
- The two teams pooled resources to buy equipment.
- a pool of water
- A pool of water collected under the leak.
- play pool
- They like to play pool on weekends.
- car pool
- We started a car pool to reduce costs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- puddle
- A puddle is a small, shallow pool of water, usually from rain, and is not for swimming.
- pond
- A pond is larger than a pool and is a natural or artificial body of water, often with plants and fish.
- combine
- Combine is a general word for joining things; pool specifically means combining money or resources for a shared purpose.
Word family
- pooling noun
- The act of combining resources or money.
Commonly confused: pool or pull?
pool vs pull
Pull means to move something toward you; pool is a body of water or a game.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The verb 'pool' takes an object and is followed by an infinitive of purpose ('to buy'); the other options have incorrect verb forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pool”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.