pool
UK: puːl | US: puːl
n. a small area of still water, typically one formed naturally
n. a shared supply of resources or funds contributed by a group
vt. to combine resources or efforts for common benefit
The word "pool" traces back to Old English pōl, meaning a small body of water, likely derived from Proto-Germanic *pōlaz. It retains its core meaning of a contained liquid but expanded metaphorically to describe collective resources (e.g., "car pool") in the 19th century. The verb form emerged from this shared-resource concept.
Children splashed in the shallow pool.
The office pool collected money for the holiday party.
They decided to pool their savings to buy a house.
A pool of sunlight illuminated the floor.
The research team pooled data from multiple studies.