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• bench
  bench

  noun

  a long seat for several people.
• Bench
  Bench

  noun

  Johnny, born 1947, U.S. baseball player.

bench

¹ American  

[bench] / bɛntʃ /

noun

1. a long seat for several people.

   a bench in the park.

2. a seat occupied by an official, especially a judge.

3. such a seat as a symbol of the office and dignity of an individual judge or the judiciary.

4. the office or dignity of various other officials, or the officials themselves.

5. 1. the seat on which the players of a team sit during a game while not playing.

   2. 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.

   3. the quality and number of professionals or experts in reserve, to be called upon as needed.

      The country has a deep bench of scientists.

6. Informal. bench press.

7. Also called workbench.  the strong worktable of a carpenter or other mechanic.

8. a platform on which animals are placed for exhibition, especially at a dog show.

9. a contest or exhibition of dogs; dog show.

10. Physical Geography. a shelflike area of rock with steep slopes above and below.

11. Mining. a step or working elevation in a mine.

12. berm.

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with benches.

2. to seat on a bench or on the bench.

   an election that benched him in the district court.

3. to place (a show dog or other animal) in exhibition.

4. to cut away the working faces of (a mine or quarry) in benches.

5. Sports. to remove from a game or keep from participating in a game.

   to be benched because of poor hitting.

idioms

1. on the bench,

   1. serving as a judge in a court of law; presiding.

   2. Sports. (of a player) not participating in play, either for part or all of a game.

Bench ² American  

[bench] / bɛntʃ /

noun

1. Johnny, born 1947, U.S. baseball player.

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bench British  

/ bɛntʃ /

noun

1. a long seat for more than one person, usually lacking a back or arms

2. a plain stout worktable

3. (sometimes capital)

   1. a judge or magistrate sitting in court in a judicial capacity

   2. judges or magistrates collectively

4. sport the seat on which reserve players and officials sit during a game

5. geology a flat narrow platform of land, esp one marking a former shoreline

6. a ledge in a mine or quarry from which work is carried out

7. (in a gymnasium) a low table, which may be inclined, used for various exercises

8. a platform on which dogs or other domestic animals are exhibited at shows

9. a hollow on a hillside formed by sheep

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verb

1. to provide with benches

2. to exhibit (a dog, etc) at a show

3. to form (a track) up a hill by excavating a flattened area

4. sport to take or keep (a player) out of a game, often for disciplinary reasons

bench More Idioms  

1. see on the bench; warm the bench.

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Other Word Forms

• benchless
  adjective
• unbench
  verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of bench

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English benc; cognate with Old Frisian benk, Old Saxon, Dutch, Old High German bank, Old Norse bekkr, from unattested Germanic bank-iz; see bank ¹

Explanation

A bench is a long, flat seat that can usually accommodate several people. A city park bench is a nice place to sit and eat a sandwich. A picnic table often has benches, and a bench is where baseball players wait for their turn to take a swing at the ball. You might have a work bench in your garage for gluing model planes together. A judge's symbolic office is known as "the bench," and to bench an athlete is to make her take a break from the court or field — if she has to do this often, she'll be known as a "bench warmer."

Example Sentences

The couple posed for pictures on the bench from where Princess Diana was photographed alone in an iconic 1992 shot.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

“From one through nine, even the guys on the bench, coming in and doing their job … We had the big hit when we needed it.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

"What happened that day was awful," Robinson said from the bench.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

“If they are to amount to a crime then the legislature will need to codify it,” Robinson said from the bench Thursday morning, as Parker audibly sobbed at the defense table.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

A battered Ford drew up next to Christopher’s bench, and a man in his seventies leaned out.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• board
• counter
• desk
• shelf