What does carrom mean?
Carrom is a tabletop game derived from billiards and especially popular in India and other parts of South Asia. Players take turns striking small, flat wooden pieces, commonly called coins, across a square board with pockets at the corners and sides. The objective is to send one's own pieces and the queen into a pocket, often while blocking an opponent's attempt. Because the pieces are small and the board is smooth, the game depends heavily on a steady hand, controlled pressure, and an ability to plan several moves ahead. Carrom is usually discussed in an informal social context, even when play is competitive. The word can refer to the game as a whole, an individual match, or, less commonly, the board or activity of playing it. The name came from Tamil, and its familiar combination of accessible equipment and deceptive precision makes it an enduring favorite among families and friends.
nounCarrom is a tabletop game derived from billiards, in which players strike small wooden pieces, commonly called coins, across a pocketed board. The aim is to send one's own pieces and the queen into pockets while obstructing an opponent's play.
- A tabletop game played with small wooden pieces on a pocketed board, derived from billiards and especially associated with India and South Asia.
"They gathered around the carrom board for a friendly match after dinner."
"At a family gathering in Pune, the cousins divided into teams for a long game of carrom."
"Her precise flick sent the white queen into a corner pocket and decided the carrom."
Carroms is the standard plural for multiple games or matches, although a game of carrom is often the more natural phrasing when referring to play as an activity.
"We have played several carroms at the club this month."
On a carrom board, a fingertip—not a cue—can send a tiny disc glancing off a cushion, across the board, and into a pocket.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carrom
The English game name was borrowed in the 19th century from Tamil கரம் (karam), referring to the small bean or disc used as a playing piece. The related spelling carom is also established for the tabletop game, although it is more commonly associated in English with a billiards shot involving the cushion.
How carrom is actually used
Carrom is common in informal South Asian English and in the Indian diaspora. It commonly denotes the game as an activity, so speakers often say a game of carrom. The spelling carom is also used for the game, but that spelling more often denotes a billiards cushion shot.
Easily confused with carrom
Carrom usually names the tabletop game, whereas in billiards a carom is a stroke in which the cue ball contacts a cushion before hitting another ball.