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
"After hours of practice, the novice finally mastered the technique needed to sink a difficult ball into the corner pocket during their game of billiards."
A two-player cue sport played with two cue balls and one red ball, on a snooker sized table.
"The local club has two sets of billiards that are ready for use tonight."
plural of billiard
In plain English: Billiards is a game where you hit balls with a cue stick to sink them into pockets on a table.
"They spent the afternoon playing billiards in the basement."
Usage: In American English, "billiards" often refers specifically to the game of pool or carom billiards rather than snooker, which is distinctively called "snooker." Avoid using it as a verb; instead, use phrases like "play billiards" or "shoot pool."
The word billiards comes from the French term for a wooden cue stick. This original meaning eventually shifted to refer to the game played with those sticks and balls.