pool

The word “pool” means a small body of still water, or a purpose-built structure for swimming. In plain terms, a body of water for swimming, a shared fund or group of resources, or the game played on a pool table.

“Pool” is pronounced pool (/pul/ in IPA).

Here is “pool” used in a sentence: “The kids spent all afternoon in the pool.”

Depending on how it is used, “pool” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “pool” comes from Old English. From Old English pōl, "pool," related to Germanic and Slavic words for a puddle or marsh.

“Pool” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Pool” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small body of still water, or a purpose-built structure for swimming.

Both hold still water, but a pond is usually a natural or landscaped feature that supports plants and wildlife, while a pool tends to be smaller or purpose-built, especially a swimming pool. A pond is part of an ecosystem; a swimming pool is a clean, controlled structure made for people.

The word covers several things: a natural pool such as a rock pool or a still patch in a stream, and built pools like swimming pools, paddling pools, and reflecting pools. There is also the unrelated sense of a shared resource, as in a car pool. This entry means the water kind.

Size and permanence set them apart. A puddle is a shallow, temporary patch of water, often left after rain, that soon dries up. A pool is deeper or more lasting, either a small body of still water or a structure built to hold it for swimming. Puddles come and go; pools stay.

Examples include a backyard swimming pool, a child's paddling pool, a rock pool left behind by the tide, or a quiet pool of still water in a woodland stream. Each fits the meaning: either a small body of standing water or a structure purpose-built to hold water for swimming.