poach

¹

[pohch]

verb (used with object)

1. to cook (eggs, fish, fruits, etc.) in a hot liquid that is kept just below the boiling point.

poach

²

[pohch]

verb (used with object)

1. to trespass on (private property), especially in order to hunt or fish.

2. to steal (game or fish) from another's property.

3. to take without permission and use as one's own.

   to poach ideas;

   a staff poached from other companies.

4. to break or tear up by trampling.

5. to mix with water and reduce to a uniform consistency, as clay.

verb (used without object)

1. to trespass, especially on another's game preserve, in order to steal animals or to hunt.

2. to take game or fish illegally.

3. (of land) to become broken up or slushy by being trampled.

4. (in tennis, squash, handball, etc.) to play a ball hit into the territory of one's partner that is properly the partner's ball to play.

5. Informal.,  to cheat in a game or contest.

poach

¹

/ pəʊtʃ /

verb

1. to catch (game, fish, etc) illegally by trespassing on private property

2. to encroach on or usurp (another person's rights, duties, etc) or steal (an idea, employee, etc)

3. tennis badminton to take or play (shots that should belong to one's partner)

4. to break up (land) into wet muddy patches, as by riding over it, or (of land) to become broken up in this way

5. (intr) (of the feet, shoes, etc) to sink into heavy wet ground

poach

²

/ pəʊtʃ /

verb

1. to simmer (eggs, fish, etc) very gently in water, milk, stock, etc

Other Word Forms

• poachable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of poach¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun poche “poached eggs (in sauce),” from Old French pochié, past participle of pochier “to bag (the yolk inside the white),” derivative of poche “bag, pocket,” from Middle Dutch poke poke ²

Origin of poach²

First recorded in 1520–30; of uncertain origin; perhaps from earlier meaning “to shove, thrust,” from Middle French pocher “to gouge,” from Germanic; akin to poke ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of poach¹

C17: from Old French pocher, of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch poken to prod; see _poke ¹

Origin of poach²

C15: from Old French pochier to enclose in a bag (as the yolks are enclosed by the whites); compare _poke ²

Example Sentences

Instead, they take the president’s claims at face value — that he actually won a huge landslide last year that was just too big for Democrats to poach.

Read more on Salon

Faced with poaching and the gradual destruction of their natural habitats, big mammals have largely disappeared, according to the survey which underlined the need to protect chimpanzees, buffaloes and elephants.

Read more on Barron's

Whether BBC bosses want to recruit from within the organisation or look to poach stars from rivals remains to be seen.

Read more on BBC

We ordered what I consider to be the perfect lunch: mussels poached in white wine and herbs, slices of crusty country loaf griddled in olive oil, and a plate of frites with aioli.

Read more on Salon

The lab's staffing was quickly grown through the poaching of top researchers with expensive pay packages from rivals like OpenAI and Apple.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• smuggle