bench

¹

[ bench ]

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 ( def 2 ).

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.

Bench

²

[ bench ]

noun

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

bench

/ bɛntʃ /

noun

1. a long seat for more than one person, usually lacking a back or arms
2. a plain stout worktable
3. the bench
   the bench 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

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

Other Words From

• bench·less adjective
• un·bench verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of bench¹

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; bank ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bench¹

Old English benc ; related to Old Norse bekkr , Old High German bank , Danish, Swedish bänk ; see bank ³

Idioms and Phrases

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.

More idioms and phrases containing bench

see on the bench ; warm the bench .

Example Sentences

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.

From FiveThirtyEight

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.

From FiveThirtyEight

We don’t get opposing benches essentially hovering over corner shooters.

From FiveThirtyEight

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.

From FiveThirtyEight

I 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.

From Freakonomics

At night jineteras stalk the promenade in search of tourists while a trumpet from a bench serenades the proceedings.

From The Daily Beast

Then you have to get judges onto the bench who agree with you.

From The Daily Beast

A workout bench: they would lift weights in between sessions.

From The Daily Beast

The federal bench will be harmed by dozens of vacancies going unfilled, causing a case backlog.

From The Daily Beast

But watching this from what I call my “bench on the beach” in Delaware I had been watching [Ebola coverage] all summer.

From The Daily Beast

Before the spinet a bench was placed about four feet below the keys, and I was put upon the bench.

From Project Gutenberg

The tattered outcast dozes on his bench while the chariot of the wealthy is drawn by.

From Project Gutenberg

Outside the hotel he came upon the two sisters sitting on a bench and drinking coffee.

From Project Gutenberg

He stood before the glass hung above the wash bench and 369 smoothed his hair.

From Project Gutenberg

At the hotel he found the bench outside occupied chiefly by Jean.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• board
• counter
• desk
• shelf