carom
5 synonyms and 0 antonyms for carom, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To strike something and bounce off it at an angle, often going on to hit something else.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
To strike something and bounce off it at an angle, often going on to hit something else.
“The puck caromed off the boards and into the net.”
2. noun
A rebound in which a ball or other object strikes a surface and goes off at an angle instead of stopping.
“He scored on a lucky carom off the defender's skate.”
How to Use Carom
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Standard English, most at home in sports commentary — hockey, basketball, baseball and billiards especially.
Etymology
Plural and third-person singular of carom, shortened from carambole, from Spanish carambola, the name of the red ball in the old billiard game.
Full origin of carom →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between carom and ricochet?
They describe the same bouncing motion, but ricochet suggests a sharper, faster, less predictable rebound and is often used of bullets. Carom is the everyday word in sports reporting for a ball glancing off a surface, and it is also the technical term for a billiards shot that hits two balls.
Is it carom or carrom?
They are different words. Carom is the billiards shot and the verb meaning to bounce off at an angle. Carrom, with two r's, is a board game played across South Asia in which discs are flicked into corner pockets.
Can carom be used outside sport?
Yes, though it is less common. You can say a car caromed off the guardrail, or use it figuratively of a conversation that caroms from one topic to the next.