BILLIARDS - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Noun
any of several games played on rectangular cloth-covered table (with cushioned edges) in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory (or composition) balls
Categories: Table game
Synonyms
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "billiards" comes from Vulgar Latin *bilia, which comes from Old French bille, which was borrowed from French billard. Many other languages have similar words:
- Old Irish: bile
- Proto-Celtic: *belyos
- Proto-Indo-European: *bʰolh₃yos
🧩 Fun Fact
This word's path shows how empires, trade, and scholarship spread vocabulary across continents.