pools
B1Neutral to informal
Definition
Meaning
Plural form of 'pool'; a small area of still water, either natural or artificial.
Can refer to collective resources, investments, or groups of people, such as a car pool or a gene pool. In UK context, specifically refers to football pools (a form of gambling).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun. In plural form, often refers to multiple distinct bodies of water or to specific collective arrangements (e.g., typing pools). The gambling sense is predominantly British.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'the pools' specifically refers to football pools, a gambling system based on predicting football match results. This usage is rare in American English.
Connotations
UK: Can have a working-class leisure/gambling connotation. US: Primarily neutral, related to swimming or resource sharing.
Frequency
The gambling sense is high-frequency in UK historical context but declining. The 'swimming pool' sense is high-frequency in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + pools: build/maintain/clean the pools[preposition] + pools: in the pools, into the poolspools + [preposition]: pools of water, pools of bloodVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to shared resources like 'talent pools' or 'cash pools' for corporate treasury.
Academic
Used in biology ('gene pools'), statistics ('data pools'), and economics ('labour pools').
Everyday
Most common for discussing swimming facilities or shared car arrangements.
Technical
In IT, 'thread pools' or 'memory pools'; in finance, 'dark pools' for trading.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council pools its resources with neighbouring authorities.
- They often pool their ideas before a meeting.
American English
- The companies pooled their data for the research study.
- Let's pool our money to buy a gift.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The hotel has two swimming pools.
- We saw small pools of water on the path after the rain.
- Many office workers join car pools to save money.
- The village built new pools for the children.
- Genetic diversity depends on large gene pools.
- The company maintains pools of freelance translators for different projects.
- The algorithmic trading relied on dark pools of liquidity.
- Melting permafrost is creating new thermokarst pools across the Arctic.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of two 'O's as two round pools of water side by side.
Conceptual Metaphor
A POOL IS A CONTAINER FOR RESOURCES/LIQUID.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'пол' (floor/sex). The plural 'pools' is not related to the Russian word for 'поле' (field). The gambling 'pools' has no direct equivalent; 'тотализатор' is closer.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'pools' as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'there is pools'). Confusing 'pool' (noun) with 'pull' (verb) in pronunciation. Incorrectly using 'pool' for a flowing body of water.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'the pools' most likely to refer to a form of gambling?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'pools' is the third person singular present tense of the verb 'to pool' (e.g., He pools his money with ours). As a noun, it is always plural.
A pool is generally larger, more permanent, and often constructed (like a swimming pool). A puddle is a small, temporary accumulation of liquid, usually on a surface.
This refers to someone who won a large cash prize on the football pools, a once-popular form of gambling. The plaques were sometimes installed by the winners.
Yes, very commonly. It can refer to abstract collections like a 'pool of applicants', a 'pool of knowledge', or a 'pool of money' set aside for investments.