Billiards is a table game: cloth on a heavy table, coloured balls, and a cue. Players strike the balls so they hit each other and, in the pocket games, fall into nets at the corners and sides.

Billiards is撞球（billiards）是 a table game一種桌上遊戲: cloth on a heavy table厚重桌子上鋪著布, coloured balls, and a cue還有彩色的球跟球桿。Players strike the balls球員擊球 so they hit each other讓球互相碰撞 and, in the pocket games而在有袋口的玩法裡, fall into nets at the corners and sides球會掉進桌角跟桌邊的網袋裡。

The word looks plural. Many speakers still treat the game as singular: “Billiards is his favourite game,” the same pattern as draughts or athletics.

The word looks plural這個字看起來是複數形。Many speakers still treat the game as singular不過很多人還是把它當單數用: "Billiards is his favourite game,"像「Billiards is his favourite game」這句, the same pattern as draughts or athletics跟 draughts 或 athletics 一樣的用法。

As with billiard, the tidy school picture — pockets, a cue, green cloth — covers several real games. Pool, snooker, and games with no pockets at all all live in this family, and different countries pick different names. In Taiwan you walk into a 撞球場, not a “billiards hall,” but an English speaker pointing at that room might still say billiards or pool.

As with billiard跟 billiard 這個字一樣, the tidy school picture — pockets, a cue, green cloth — covers several real games課本裡那種乾淨俐落的畫面——球袋、球桿、綠色桌布——其實涵蓋了好幾種真實的遊戲。Pool, snooker, and games with no pockets at all all live in this family撞球、司諾克，還有完全沒有球袋的玩法都屬於這個大家族, and different countries pick different names不同國家用的名稱也不一樣。In Taiwan在台灣 you walk into a 撞球場你走進的是「撞球場」, not a "billiards hall,"而不是「billiards hall」 but an English speaker pointing at that room might still say billiards or pool但英語使用者指著那個地方時可能還是會說 billiards 或 pool。

Though actually, if someone in Britain invites you to “play billiards,” they may mean the older three-ball game, not the pool table you are picturing; it is fair to ask which game they mean.

Though actually不過其實, if someone in Britain invites you to "play billiards,"如果有英國人邀你「play billiards」, they may mean the older three-ball game他們可能指的是比較古早的三球遊戲, not the pool table you are picturing而不是你腦中想的那種撞球桌; it is fair to ask which game they mean問清楚他們指的是哪種遊戲也沒關係。

The word came from French billard, which first named the wooden cue — a little stick — not the table.

The word came from French billard這個字來自法文 billard, which first named the wooden cue — a little stick — not the table一開始指的是木製的球桿——一根小棍子——而不是桌子。