poach

[ pohch ]

/ poʊtʃ /

verb (used without object)

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

to take game or fish illegally.

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

(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.

Informal. to cheat in a game or contest.

verb (used with object)

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

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

to take without permission and use as one's own: to poach ideas; a staff poached from other companies.

to break or tear up by trampling.

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

Nearby words

Origin of poach

1520–30; earlier: to shove, thrust < Middle French pocher to gouge < Germanic; akin to poke¹

Related formspoach·a·ble, adjective

Definition for poached (2 of 2)

poach

[ pohch ]

/ poʊtʃ /

verb (used with object)

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

Origin of poach

1350–1400; Middle English poche < Middle French pocher literally, to bag (the yolk inside the white), derivative of poche bag (French poche pocket) < Middle Dutch poke poke²

Related formspoach·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for poached

They are poached instead of hard-boiled, boasting anti-heroes with nihilistic worldviews who are nevertheless vulnerable.
‘True Detective,’ Obsessive-Compulsive Noir, and ‘Twin Peaks’|Jimmy So|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If elephant, rhino, and other African wildlife are poached to extinction, tourism will dry up.
Borana Joins the Fight to Save Kenya’s Rhinos…and Wants You to Help Too|Joanna Eede|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mired in scandal, the Vatican poached an American Fox News journalist to handle communications.
Greg Burke: The Pope’s New PR Guy|Barbie Latza Nadeau|June 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The resulting column revealed that on Sundays, Hoover ate a hearty breakfast of poached eggs and hotcakes.
Hoover’s Secret Files|Ronald Kessler|August 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Meanwhile, back by the pool, chef Michel Roux served a buffet of roasted meats, poached seafood, and fresh pastries.
A Starry Night in Morocco|David Kaufman|November 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Use simple experiments or watch the poached egg, to make a study of the changes produced in the egg by the application of heat.
Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household Science in Rural Schools|Ministry of Education Ontario
Spread on thin slices of toast and lay a fried or poached egg on each slice.
The Myrtle Reed Cook Book|Myrtle Reed
Poached eggs are usually served on thin slices of buttered toast.
The Myrtle Reed Cook Book|Myrtle Reed
If eggs are served for breakfast they are usually cooked in the shell, poached or scrambled.
Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts|Girl Scouts
If I were not afraid of having it set down as a joke, I should say that I poached everything from eggs to deer.
The Enchanted Typewriter|John Kendrick Bangs

British Dictionary definitions for poached (1 of 2)

poach

/ (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 poached (2 of 2)

poach

/ (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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for poached (1 of 3)

poached

adj.

of eggs, mid-15c., past participle adjective from poach (v.2).

Word Origin and History for poached (1 of 3)

poach

v.1

"steal game," 1520s, "to push, poke," from Middle French pocher "to thrust, poke," from Old French pochier "poke out, gouge, prod, jab," from a Germanic source (cf. Middle High German puchen "to pound, beat, knock," German pochen, Middle Dutch boken "to beat") related to poke (v.). Sense of "trespass for the sake of stealing" is first attested 1610s, perhaps via notion of "thrusting" oneself onto another's property, or perhaps from French pocher "to pocket" (see poach (v.2)). Related: Poached; poaching.

Word Origin and History for poached (2 of 3)

poach

v.2

"cook in liquid," early 15c., from Old French poché, past participle of pochier (12c.), literally "put into a pocket" (as the white of an egg forms a pocket for the yolk), from poche "bag, pocket," from Frankish *pokka "bag," from Proto-Germanic *puk- (see poke (n.)). Related: Poached; poaching.

poach

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of poach

Definition for poached (2 of 2)

poach

verb (used with object)

Origin of poach

Examples from the Web for poached

British Dictionary definitions for poached (1 of 2)

poach

verb

Word Origin for poach

British Dictionary definitions for poached (2 of 2)

poach

verb

Word Origin for poach

Word Origin and History for poached (1 of 3)

poached

Word Origin and History for poached (1 of 3)

poach

Word Origin and History for poached (2 of 3)

poach