billiards

billiards
\ \ [16] Billiard comes from French billard, which is the name not only of the game, but also of the cue it is played with. And the cue is the clue to the word’s history, for it comes from French billetree trunk’, hence ‘long cylindrical bit of wood’. The import of the -ard suffix is not altogether clear, but another suffix used with bille was the diminutive -ette, from which English got billetpiece of wood’ [15] (not to be confused with billetassignment to lodgings’; see BILL). Bille itself came from medieval Latin billa or billus, which may have been of Celtic origin.
\ \ Cf.BILLET

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Billiards — Bil liards, n. [F. billiard billiards, OF. billart staff, cue form playing, fr. bille log. See {Billet} a stick.] A game played with ivory balls o a cloth covered, rectangular table, bounded by elastic cushions. The player seeks to impel his ball …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 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

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