poolshark

P3O1O1L1S1H4A1R1K5

noun

A hustler who disrupts a game for his own advantage, such as by feigning incompetence to attract bets, or by harassing opponents.

Similar
shark
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

nounpoolshark (plural poolsharks)

plural poolsharks

  1. ball gamesA hustler who disrupts a game for his own advantage, such as by feigning incompetence to attract bets, or by harassing opponents.

    Synonyms: shark

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA hustler who disrupts a game for his own advantage, such as by feigning incompetence to attract bets, or by harassing opponents.

Similar
shark

Origin

Used in the title of a 1915 film. Perhaps related to cardshark, which is in turn likely a variant of cardsharp; the hyphenated phrase billiard-sharp appears in The Mikado in 1885, suggesting that perhaps both terms evolved from sharp to shark in tandem.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

poolshark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poolshark

MLA

“poolshark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poolshark. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “poolshark,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poolshark.

Source: poolshark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.