Looking in the dictionary: carom - what is it?

And really, the sonorous, beautiful word "carom", what does it mean? Let's post the explanatory dictionaries and encyclopedias!

From billiards to scandal

The word is of Gallic origin and came to us from the French language. It is connected first of all with billiards. Therefore, to the question: "Cannon - what is this?" - you can safely answer: "Billiard term". And now more.

• Firstly, this is a kind of this game. According to its rules, the ball, which hit the cue (cue ball), must hit another ball and ricochet to hit another one. The impact must be aimed, not accidental.
• Secondly, the blow itself is called that, and this is also the correct answer to the question: "Carom - what is this?" In another way, you can define the meaning of the term and thus: a game with three balls and a corresponding blow.
• Coming from the narrowly specific area to the "masses", the word acquired an additional, portable meaning. By analogy with the blow in billiards, it was called an unpleasant, delicate situation, connected with various disassemblies and scandals. Thus, the third answer to the question: "Cannon - what is this?" - sounds like this: an unexpected clash, a dispute, a quarrel, often ending in a fight. In the aristocratic milieu so denoted a duel. Now the word is obsolete, rarely used, but still very much even in the course of 2-3 centuries ago. And now only good experts in the language put it into their speech.
• However, on this etymological our research does not end. Russian language, therefore, is considered great and mighty, that every word in it can shine and play with its faces, in what direction it should not be turned. It is on this variety that metaphors, puns and other artistic paths are built. So, the term that interests us has acquired one more value over time. Therefore, the fourth variant of the answer to the question: "Carom - what is this?" - is that: an unexpected act, an action, an event that no one imagined, but it happened. Like the previous one, this value has long since emerged from active use. However, when reading books, we can often meet him in works on historical topics. Yes, and our grandmothers, great-grandmothers, who love to express themselves in a flowery way, no, no, and they will insert a word into their stories about a distant youth. By the way, one more nuance: once the predicament was also called this way.
• Is it correct to say that carom is a dance? Unfortunately no. This is how the pair collides during the performance of a particular figure. For example, if, circling in a waltz, you accidentally fell on the neighboring dancers - a cannon is obvious! He began to reckon with dances after the song by A. Rosenbaum performed by M. Shufutinsky with the same name. One of the lines it reads: "... we danced a gentle dance of cannonball." But there is a state theater in St. Petersburg, a musical theater, for adults and kids, under this very name. Who wants to learn more about it, visit "Carambole", the poster is at your service.

Overseas fruit

And, finally, the last point of our study. Cannon or carambola is an exotic fruit with a ribbed surface. If you cut it into slices, you will get unusual five-pointed asterisks. The fruit itself can be bright green or saturated yellow like a melon. The taste is pleasant, sweet and sour. He and as a dessert is great, and to decorate the table - the first thing. That's such an unusual he is - a cannon!