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poach. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
poach, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
poach in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
poach you have here. The definition of the word
poach will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
poach, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English pochen (“to poach (eggs)”), from Old French pocher "to put (egg yolks) in pockets" (i.e. in bags formed by the whites), from Old French poche (“pocket”).
Verb
poach (third-person singular simple present poaches, present participle poaching, simple past and past participle poached)
- (transitive) To cook (something) in simmering or very hot liquid (usually water; sometimes wine, broth, or otherwise).
1931, Francis Beeding, “1/1”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps:Eldridge closed the despatch-case with a snap and, rising briskly, walked down the corridor to his solitary table in the dining-car. Mulligatawny soup, poached turbot, roast leg of lamb—the usual railway dinner.
- (intransitive) To be cooked in such manner.
1631, Francis [Bacon], “(please specify |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. , 3rd edition, London: William Rawley; rinted by J H for William Lee , →OCLC:The white of an egg with spirit of wine, doth bake the egg into clots, as if it began to poach.
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Translations
to cook in simmering liquid
to be cooked in simmering liquid
Noun
poach (plural poaches)
- The act of cooking in simmering liquid.
2005, Jill Dupleix, Good Cooking: The New Basics, page 152:Peaches are so perfect they need very little to make them extra special—just a quick poach in basil-scented rosé wine and a few adoring strawberries.
Etymology 2
From Old French pocher, pochier (“to trample, poach into”). Doublet of poke.
Verb
poach (third-person singular simple present poaches, present participle poaching, simple past and past participle poached)
- (transitive, intransitive) To trespass on another's property to take fish or game.
- (transitive, intransitive) To take game or fish illegally.
2021 November 12, Christine Chung, “2 Ivory Smugglers Captured in International Operation, U.S. Says”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:A 2016 study using carbon dating of more than 200 tusks from seizures spanning nine countries suggested that illegal ivory originates from elephants poached recently, instead of being pilfered from aging stockpiles kept by various nations.
- (by extension, transitive, intransitive) To take anything illegally or unfairly.
2024 February 10, Phil McNulty, “Manchester City 6-0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:Chelsea's embarrassment was symbolised by Ross Barkley's inexplicable header straight to the feet of Aguero to poach his second and Ilkay Gundogan capped that early blitz with a low drive.
- (figurative) To intrude; to interfere; to get involved inappropriately, without welcome.
to poach in foreign academic disciplines
- (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
- (business, transitive, intransitive) To entice (an employee or customer) to switch from a competing company to one's own.
2019 August 1, Karen Weise, “EBay Accuses Amazon Managers of Conspiring to Poach Its Sellers”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:EBay has accused three Amazon managers of illegally conspiring to poach its sellers, escalating a monthslong feud between two of the country’s largest e-commerce companies.
- To make soft or muddy by trampling.
Cattle coming to drink had punched and poached the river bank into a mess of mud.
- To become soft or muddy by being trampled on.
1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. , 2nd edition, London: J H for H Mortlock , and J Robinson , published 1708, →OCLC:Chalky and clay lands […] chap in summer, and poach in winter.
- (obsolete) To stab; to pierce; to spear or drive or plunge into something.
1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall. , new edition, London: B. Law, ; Penzance, Cornwall: J. Hewett, published 1769, →OCLC:They vse alſo to poche them with an instrument somewhat like the Sammon-speare
1673, William Temple, Observations upon the United Provinces:his horse poching one of his legs into some hollow ground
2011, Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races:Mutt Malvern stands with a wicked blade in one hand and, in the other, a three-pronged leister spear of the sort used to poach fish or birds.
Derived terms
Translations
to take game or fish illegally
- Armenian: որսագողությամբ զբաղվել (orsagoġutʻyamb zbaġvel) (game), ձկնաագողությամբ զբաղվել (jknaagoġutʻyamb zbaġvel) (fish)
- Bulgarian: бракониерствам (brakonierstvam)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin:盜獵/盗猎 (zh) (dàoliè)
- Czech: pytlačit
- Dutch: stropen (nl)
- Esperanto: ŝtelĉasi
- Finnish: salametsästää, metsästää salaa, salakalastaa, kalastaa salaa
- French: braconner (fr)
- German: wildern (de)
- Italian: cacciare di frodo, pescare di frodo
- Japanese: 密猟する (ja) (みつりょうする, mitsuryō-suru) (game), 密漁する (ja) (みつりょうする, mitsuryō-suru) (fish)
- Macedonian: ловокраде (lovokrade), криволови (krivolovi)
- Maori: kaihaumi
- Polish: kłusować (pl)
- Portuguese: caçar/pescar furtivamente
- Russian: занима́ться браконье́рством (zanimátʹsja brakonʹjérstvom)
- Scottish Gaelic: poidsig
- Slovak: pytliačiť
- Spanish: (gathering) recolectar furtivamente, (logging) talar furtivamente, (fishing) pescar furtivamente, (hunting) cazar furtivamente, (poaching) practicar furtivismo
- Swedish: tjuvjaga (game), tjuvfiska (sv) (fish)
- Walloon: bracner (wa)
- Welsh: herwhela (cy)
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to take illegally or unfairly
to entice an employee or customer to switch
Noun
poach (plural poaches)
- The act of taking something unfairly, as in tennis doubles where one player returns a shot that their partner was better placed to return.
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