carom
Carom (verb) means to strike something and bounce off it at an angle, often going on to hit something else. Example: “The puck caromed off the boards and into the net.”
How to Use Carom
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWhen something caroms, it hits a surface and bounces off sideways.
Standard English, most at home in sports commentary — hockey, basketball, baseball and billiards especially.
Carom is nearly always followed by off: the ball caroms off the post, not caroms the post.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The puck _____ off the boards and into the net.
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.
Synonyms
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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.