poach
1[ pohch ]
/ poʊtʃ /
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verb (used with object)
to cook (eggs, fish, fruits, etc.) in a hot liquid that is kept just below the boiling point.
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Origin of poach
1First 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 poke2
OTHER WORDS FROM poach
poach·a·ble, adjectiveOther definitions for poach (2 of 2)
poach2
[ pohch ]
/ poʊtʃ /
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
Origin of poach
2First recorded in 1520–30; of uncertain origin; perhaps from earlier meaning “to shove, thrust,” from Middle French pocher “to gouge,” from Germanic; akin to poke1
OTHER WORDS FROM poach
poach·a·ble, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use poach in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for poach (1 of 2)
poach1
/ (pəʊtʃ) /
verb
to catch (game, fish, etc) illegally by trespassing on private property
to encroach on or usurp (another person's rights, duties, etc) or steal (an idea, employee, etc)
tennis badminton to take or play (shots that should belong to one's partner)
to break up (land) into wet muddy patches, as by riding over it, or (of land) to become broken up in this way
(intr) (of the feet, shoes, etc) to sink into heavy wet ground
Word Origin for poach
C17: from Old French pocher, of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch poken to prod; see poke 1
British Dictionary definitions for poach (2 of 2)
poach2
/ (pəʊtʃ) /
verb
to simmer (eggs, fish, etc) very gently in water, milk, stock, etc
Word Origin for poach
C15: from Old French pochier to enclose in a bag (as the yolks are enclosed by the whites); compare poke ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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