What does eightball mean?
An eightball is the solid-black ball marked with the number eight used in pool and other cue sports. Because standard rules require players to pocket all their own balls before legally striking the eight, the eightball carries special weight: sinking it prematurely loses the game, while potting it last wins. This pivotal role gave rise to the American idiom 'behind the eight ball,' meaning to be in a difficult, awkward, or disadvantageous position. The word also names the popular fortune-telling novelty known as the Magic 8 Ball, a hollow plastic replica filled with liquid and a floating die that offers cryptic answers to yes-or-no questions. Informal in register, 'eightball' is understood throughout the English-speaking world wherever pool is played, though its figurative use remains strongest in North America. It is a vivid, concrete term whose cultural resonance far exceeds its simple sporting origin.
The black ball numbered eight in pool or billiards, which must be pocketed last under standard rules.
"Her opponent still had two solids on the table, but she kept her eye on the eightball."
Often written as two words ('eight ball') in older texts; the closed form is common in modern usage.
A fortune-telling novelty toy consisting of an oversized black eight ball that reveals random answers to yes-or-no questions.
"Executives joked about making decisions by consulting the eightball on the conference table."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple such balls or toys.
"The vending machine sold keychains shaped like miniature eightballs."
In most of pool's history, sinking the eight too early meant instant loss — which is why being 'behind the eight ball' became America's shorthand for trouble.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eightball
The word is a straightforward compound of 'eight' (from Old English 'eahta', from Proto-Germanic roots) and 'ball' (from Old Norse 'böllr' or Middle English 'bal', ultimately from the same Germanic base that gives 'bowl'). It arose naturally as the name for the number-eight ball when standardized numbered ball sets were adopted for pool in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The related idiom 'behind the eight ball' developed from the game's rules, and the compound was later applied commercially to the Magic 8 Ball toy introduced in the mid-twentieth century.
How eightball is actually used
The word is informal and appears most often in contexts involving pool or billiards. The figurative idiom 'behind the eight ball,' meaning in a difficult or disadvantageous situation, is well established in American English; British usage favors 'snookered' for the same idea. The capitalized form 'Magic 8 Ball' refers specifically to the trademarked toy, so lowercase 'eightball' for the toy is less standard.
Easily confused with eightball
"Ate" is the past tense of "eat" and sounds identical to "eight," while an eightball is the numbered black ball in pool.