poacher

¹ American  

[poh-cher] / ˈpoʊ tʃər /

noun

1. a person who trespasses on private property, especially to catch fish or game illegally.

2. Also called sea-poacher.  any of several slender, marine fishes of the family Agonidae, found chiefly in deeper waters of the North Pacific, having the body covered with bony plates.

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poacher ² American  

[poh-cher] / ˈpoʊ tʃər /

noun

1. a pan having a tight-fitting lid and metal cups for steaming or poaching poach poaching eggs.

2. any dish or pan used for poaching poach poaching food, especially a baking dish for poaching poach poaching fish.

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poacher ¹ British  

/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

1. a person who illegally hunts game, fish, etc, on someone else's property

2. someone whose occupation or behaviour is the opposite of what it previously was, such as a burglar who now advises on home security

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poacher ² British  

/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

1. a metal pan with individual cups for poaching eggs

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Etymology

Origin of poacher¹

First recorded in 1660–70; poach ² + -er ¹

Origin of poacher²

First recorded in 1860–65; poach ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

A fellow ranger, former poacher Festus Benjamin, 31, told AFP he now educates his peers on the value of preserving the park's wildlife.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

But Erica Ford, as a cross-dressing game poacher and archer-in-disguise named Ralph, provides the kind of character and performance that delivers new blood and enlivens an old story.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

No, Marais isn't a poacher — quite the opposite.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2025

Its location in England is being kept secret to protect the orchid from being squashed by flower tourists who want to look at it, or being stolen by a plant poacher.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2024

“A poacher? I suppose you’ll want to go capture the book for me now, too?”

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman