Japanese Confirmation Please: ビリヤード

[clipper]

Picked this one up recently, want to make sure it wasn't a mistake. Is this the primary term for "billiards", or, as we call it where I'm from, "pool"?

All stats checked out: G images, 40k OVT, wiki page, .jp and .net were taken (even .cn, .biz, etc.).

Just wanted confirmation that this is the term.

Thanks in advance.

[mulligan]

I get billiards .. having said that it's hard to tell if it means 'billiards' in the English sense which you can see here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_billiards

A Japanese native would have to confirm the exact form of this game .. 8 ball, 9 ball, straight, snooker or any number of other versions of the game .. etc

[clipper]

Good point.

In American English, "Billiards" means any game with a stick and a slate-covered table.

Any word from Japanese natives?

[mgrohan]

Looks like a general term judging by google images. Google shows mixed images of 8 ball and 9 ball. No pictures of English billiards or snooker.

[rhys]

ビリヤード in Japanese generally refers specifically to the game of billiards and is not used in the american sense of basically any pool game or carom. hope that helps.