poaching

American  

[poh-ching] / ˈpoʊ tʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the illegal practice of trespassing on another's property to hunt or steal game without the landowner's permission.

2. any encroachment on another's property, rights, ideas, or the like.

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Other Word Forms

• antipoaching adjective

Etymology

Origin of poaching

First recorded in 1605–15; poach ² + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

As rivals countered his poaching efforts with enticing packages of their own, the talent wars led to AI hires being paid more than NBA stars.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is often due to dangers animals face in the wild, including poaching for bushmeat, habitat loss and degradation — in some instances caused by mineral hunting for electronics — as well as disease.

From Los Angeles Times

Now some are upping the ante with explicit poaching efforts—and litigation.

From The Wall Street Journal

His groundbreaking research exposed the devastating effects of poaching - often at great risk to his own safety - and was instrumental in the banning of the international ivory trade.

From BBC

Rivals bemoaned the free-spending outsider, which had become hard to outbid and was poaching executives from traditional studios with big pay increases.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• piracy
• smuggling
• trafficking