snook·er [snookersnookerssnookeredsnookering] noun, verb BrE [ˈsnuːkə(r)] NAmE [ˈsnuːkər] noun 1. uncountable a game for two people played on a long table covered with green cloth. Players use ↑cues (= long sticks) to hit a white ball against other balls (15 red and 6 of other colours) in order to get the coloured balls into pockets at the edge of the table, in a particular set order •to play snooker •a game of snooker •a snooker hall/player/table, etc. compare ↑billiards, ↑pool 2. countable a position in snooker in which one player has made it very difficult for the opponent to play a shot within the rules
Word Origin: late 19th cent.: of unknown origin.
Example Bank: •The ex-miner stunned the snooker world by winning his first tournament. •We played a couple of frames of snooker in the evening.
verb usually passive 1.~ sb (in the game of ↑snooker)to have your opponent in a ↑snooker (2) 2.~ sb/sth (BrE, informal)to make it impossible for sb to do sth, especially sth they want to do •Any plans I'd had for the weekend were by now well and truly snookered. 3.~ sb (NAmE, informal)to cheat or trick sb Verb forms: