eightball: Meaning and Definition of

eight•ball

1. a black ball bearing the number eight.
2. a game in which one player or side must pocket all of either the solid-color balls or the striped ones before being permitted to attempt the pocketing of the eightball, which wins.
2. an inept person.
3. in a difficult, disadvantageous, or uncomfortable situation: He hasn't studied all term, and now he's behind the eightball.