bench
a long seat for several people: a bench in the park.
a seat occupied by an official, especially a judge.
such a seat as a symbol of the office and dignity of an individual judge or the judiciary.
the office or dignity of various other officials, or the officials themselves.
the seat on which the players of a team sit during a game while not playing.
the quality and number of the players of a team who are usually used as substitutes: A weak bench hurt their chances for the championship.
the quality and number of professionals or experts in reserve, to be called upon as needed: The country has a deep bench of scientists.
Informal. bench press.
Also called workbench. the strong worktable of a carpenter or other mechanic.
a platform on which animals are placed for exhibition, especially at a dog show.
a contest or exhibition of dogs; dog show.
Physical Geography. a shelflike area of rock with steep slopes above and below.
Mining. a step or working elevation in a mine.
to furnish with benches.
to seat on a bench or on the bench: an election that benched him in the district court.
to place (a show dog or other animal) in exhibition.
to cut away the working faces of (a mine or quarry) in benches.
Sports. to remove from a game or keep from participating in a game: to be benched because of poor hitting.
Idioms about bench
on the bench,
serving as a judge in a court of law; presiding.
Sports. (of a player) not participating in play, either for part or all of a game.
Origin of bench
1Other words from bench
- bench·less, adjective
- un·bench, verb (used with object)
Words Nearby bench
Other definitions for Bench (2 of 2)
Johnny, born 1947, U.S. baseball player.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bench in a sentence
Meanwhile the Toronto Raptors never faced much in the way of a threat from the Brooklyn Nets, but they put on an impressive first-round performance all the same — especially their bench shooting 100 in Game 4.
The clear baseline has been much-discussed as one of the benefits of bubble play, but I also like the fact that benches are farther away from the sideline.
We don’t get opposing benches essentially hovering over corner shooters.
Nurse and company remained unsurprisingly willing to vary their level of aggression within and outside of their base schemes from night to night, against every type of action and overall, with the starters and with the bench.
The Raptors’ Defense Is Almost Never The Same, But It’s Always Really Good | Jared Dubin | August 17, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightI think you have seen some excellent talent in the first term of this administration, but quite frankly, our bench really isn’t all that deep.
Will Covid-19 Spark a Cold War (or Worse) With China? (Ep. 414) | Stephen J. Dubner | April 23, 2020 | Freakonomics
At night jineteras stalk the promenade in search of tourists while a trumpet from a bench serenades the proceedings.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind | Brin-Jonathan Butler | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThen you have to get judges onto the bench who agree with you.
A Reminder: Our Justices are Politicians in Robes | Jedediah Purdy | November 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA workout bench: they would lift weights in between sessions.
The federal bench will be harmed by dozens of vacancies going unfilled, causing a case backlog.
If You Think D.C. Is Awful Now, Wait Until Wednesday | Jonathan Alter | November 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut watching this from what I call my “bench on the beach” in Delaware I had been watching [Ebola coverage] all summer.
Before the spinet a bench was placed about four feet below the keys, and I was put upon the bench.
Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan SwiftThe tattered outcast dozes on his bench while the chariot of the wealthy is drawn by.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockOutside the hotel he came upon the two sisters sitting on a bench and drinking coffee.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeHe stood before the glass hung above the wash bench and 369 smoothed his hair.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) OgdenAt the hotel he found the bench outside occupied chiefly by Jean.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. Locke
British Dictionary definitions for bench
/ (bɛntʃ) /
a long seat for more than one person, usually lacking a back or arms
a plain stout worktable
the bench (sometimes capital)
a judge or magistrate sitting in court in a judicial capacity
judges or magistrates collectively
sport the seat on which reserve players and officials sit during a game
geology a flat narrow platform of land, esp one marking a former shoreline
a ledge in a mine or quarry from which work is carried out
(in a gymnasium) a low table, which may be inclined, used for various exercises
a platform on which dogs or other domestic animals are exhibited at shows
NZ a hollow on a hillside formed by sheep
to provide with benches
to exhibit (a dog, etc) at a show
NZ to form (a track) up a hill by excavating a flattened area
US and Canadian sport to take or keep (a player) out of a game, often for disciplinary reasons
Origin of bench
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with bench
see on the bench; warm the bench.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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