Billiards. [a. F. carambole, ad. Sp. carambola the red ball at billiards, the stroke so called, a trick: derivation unknown. As the word is in Pg. identical in form with the prec., suggestions as to their identity have been made, but without any evidence.]
† a. In billiards, the red ball that is placed on the mark. (But it is doubtful whether this sense has ever been practically in English use.) † b. The game in which this ball is used. Obs. c. The stroke otherwise called a CANNON.
1775. C. Jones, Hoyle’s Games Impr., 205. Billiards … Carambole, is played with three Balls, one being red which is neutral…. The chief Object of the Game is to hit with your own Ball the two other Balls, which is called a Carambole.
1788. J. Beaufort, ibid. iii. 195. Carambole is a game newly introduced from France. Ibid., 196. The Russian carambole … has still more lately been introduced.
1820. Hoyle’s Games Impr., 321. Each of the hazards and the carambole counts two. Ibid., 372. For which stroke, called a carambole or carom, he obtains two points.
1850. Bohn’s Handbk. Games, 519. If with his own ball he strike two others successively, the stroke is called a canon (formerly carom or carambole, which is the French term).
d. attrib., as in carambole game = b.
1807. in N. & Q. (1886), 27 Feb., 167.
1820. Hoyle’s Games Impr., 371. The Red or winning and losing carambole game.
1850. Bohn’s Handbk. Games, 544. The Carambole Games. These are played with three balls.
