- a game played with two object balls and a cue ball on a rectangular table covered with cloth, esp. baize, and having raised, cushioned edges: a long, tapering stick (called a cue) is used to hit and move the balls
- any of a number of similar games: pool is sometimes called pocket billiards
Origin of billiardsFrench billard, the game; origin, originally , a stick, cue ; from Old French bille: see billet
plural noun(used with a sing. verb)
- A game played on a rectangular cloth-covered table with raised cushioned edges, in which a cue is used to hit three small, hard balls against one another or the side cushions of the table.
- One of several similar games, such as pool.
Origin of billiardsFrench billard, from bille, log; see billet2.