billiards
noun
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The word billiards refers to any of various games played on a cloth-topped, cushion-railed rectangular table by driving small, hard balls against one another or into pockets, with a long stick called a cue. Carom, or French billiards, is played with three balls, two white and one red, on a table without pockets. The object is to strike the white cue ball so that it hits the two object balls in succession, scoring a carom (one point). English billiards is also played with three balls, but on a pocketed table; it is scored in various ways. Snooker is another popular British billiards game. The principal billiards game in North America is pocket billiards, or pool. The Billiard Congress of America controls US tournament play, including the US Open Pockets Billiard Championship, regarded as the world championship.
Examples of billiards in a Sentence
Jon Gorey, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Feb. 2023
Lee wanted to learn more about this sport of billiards.
—The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2022
Thus Phelan would save the game of billiards and, sure, maybe a few elephants too.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2022
The night went on with dancing, ice cream from Jeni’s Ice Cream, some competitive rounds of billiards in the farmhouse, lots of chatting, and eventually, a spot of late-night swimming.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2022
There were eulogies praising Robles for his kindness, his love of road trips and of Friday family nights at home with pizza and champagne while everyone played billiards.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2022
Half the men leave, and the other half hastily set up a game of billiards.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2022
According to the Encyclopedia of Sports, pall mall was developed in France in the 1500s and 1600s, and inspired by jeu de mail, a French form of ground billiards.
—Emily Burack, Town & Country, 28 Mar. 2022
Then come back to hang out in your private movie theater, play billiards in your game room, or do whatever your indoorsy heart desires.
—Rina Nehdar, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'billiards.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Billiards.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billiards. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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billiards
noun
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