pool
Cross references: 1. monopoly 1. pool \'pu:l\ n [ME, fr. OE po-l; akin to OHG pfuol pool] 1: a small and rather deep body of usu. fresh water 2: a small body of standing liquid : PUDDLE 3: a continuous area of porous sedimentary rock which yields petroleum or g as 2. pool n [F poule, lit., hen, fr. OF, fem. of poul cock - more at PULLE]T 1a: an aggregate stake to which each player of a game has contributed 1b: all the money bet by a number of persons on a particular event 2a: a game played on an English billiard table in which each of the players stakes a sum and the winner takes all 2b: any of various games of billiards played on a pool table having 6 pocke ts with usu. 15 object balls 3: an aggregation of the interests or property of different persons made to further a joint undertaking by subjecting them to the same control and a common liability : as 3a: a common fund or combination of interests for the common adventure in b uying or selling; esp : one for speculating in or manipulating the market price of securities or commodities (as grain) 3b: a combination between competing business houses for the control of traf fic by removing competition 4: a fencing contest in which each member of a team successively engages ea ch member of another team 5: a readily available supply : as 5a: the whole quantity of a particular material present in the body and ava ilable for function or the satisfying of metabolic demands 5b: a body product (as blood) collected from many donors and stored for lat er use 3. pool vt : to contribute to a common fund or effort
Webster's English Dictionary