bilister

Bilister is a term used to denote a player of billiards, a family of cue sports that involve striking balls on a table with a cue. In English, bilister is uncommon; the term is more widely found in French as biliste, where it denotes someone who competes in billiards disciplines, including carom billiards and pool.

Origin and usage: The word derives from the French billard, meaning billiards. The English form bilister likely arose as an anglicized variant or through translations from French texts. In contemporary English, the more standard designation remains billiards player or cue sport athlete, with bilister appearing mainly in historical or francophone contexts.

Practice and competition: A bilister's training emphasizes cue control, aiming accuracy, positioning, and strategic shot selection. Equipment includes a cue stick, cue chalk, billiard balls, and a table appropriate to the discipline, whether pocketed (pool, snooker) or pocketless (carom billiards). Competitive formats range from local club events to international championships across various disciplines, such as pool, carom, and snooker.

See also: Billiards, Cue sports, Pool, Snooker, Carom billiards.