billiards — ► PLURAL NOUN (treated as sing. ) ▪ a game for two people, played on a billiard table with three balls. ORIGIN French billard billiard cue, billiards , from Old French bille tree trunk … English terms dictionary
billiards — [bil′yərdz] n. [Fr billard, the game; orig., a stick, cue < OFr bille: see BILLET2] 1. a game played with three hard balls on a rectangular table covered with cloth, esp. baize, and having raised, cushioned edges: a long, tapering stick… … English World dictionary
billiards — 1590s, from Fr. billiard, originally the word for the wooden cue stick, a diminutive from O.Fr. bille stick of wood, from M.L. billia tree, trunk, possibly from Gaulish (Cf. Ir. bile tree trunk ) … Etymology dictionary
billiards — billiardist, n. /bil yeuhrdz/, n. (used with a sing. v.) any of several games played with hard balls of ivory or of a similar material that are driven with a cue on a cloth covered table enclosed by a raised rim of rubber, esp. a game played with … Universalium
billiards — [[t]bɪ̱liə(r)dz[/t]] (The form billiard is used as a modifier.) 1) N UNCOUNT Billiards is a game played on a large table, in which you use a long stick called a cue to hit balls against each other or into pockets around the sides of the table.… … English dictionary
billiards — n. to play billiards * * * to play billiards … Combinatory dictionary
billiards — n. 1 a game played on an oblong cloth covered table, with three balls struck with cues into pockets round the edge of the table. 2 (billiard) (in comb.) used in billiards (billiard ball; billiard table). Etymology: orig. pl., f. F billard… … Useful english dictionary
billiards — noun plural but singular in construction Etymology: Middle French billard billiard cue, billiards, from bille wooden stick, log more at billet Date: 1580 any of several games played on an oblong table by driving small balls against one another or … New Collegiate Dictionary
billiards — bil|liards [ˈbıljədz US ərdz] n [U] [Date: 1500 1600; : French; Origin: billard (stick used in) billiards , from bille piece of wood, stick ] a game played on a cloth covered table in which balls are hit with a ↑cue (=a long stick) against each… … Dictionary of contemporary English
billiards — n pl See pocket billiards/pool … Contemporary slang
