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noun C1 Advanced

billiards

BIH-leerdz

Billiards (noun) means a cue sport played on a table with balls that are struck to score points, in various forms such as pool and snooker. Example: “They spent the evening playing billiards at the pub.”

noun
1
A cue sport played on a table with balls that are struck to score points, in various forms such as pool and snooker.
"They spent the evening playing billiards at the pub."

How to use billiards

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA tabletop game played by hitting balls with a cue.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
play billiards a game of billiards
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Fill the gap

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They spent the evening playing _____ at the pub.

Etymology

From French billard, from Old French bille ("log, tree trunk"), naming the cue used to strike the balls.

Origin: Old French

Frequently asked questions

What does “billiards” mean?

The word “billiards” means a cue sport played on a table with balls that are struck to score points, in various forms such as pool and snooker. In plain terms, a tabletop game played by hitting balls with a cue.

How do you pronounce “billiards”?

“Billiards” is pronounced BIH-leerdz (/ˈbɪl.jɚdz/ in IPA).

How do you use “billiards” in a sentence?

Here is “billiards” used in a sentence: “They spent the evening playing billiards at the pub.”

What part of speech is “billiards”?

“Billiards” is a noun.

Where does the word “billiards” come from?

The word “billiards” comes from Old French. From French billard, from Old French bille ("log, tree trunk"), naming the cue used to strike the balls.

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