bench

1 of 2

noun

ˈbench 

1

a

: a long seat for two or more persons

b

: a thwart in a boat

c(1)

: a seat on which the members of an athletic team await a turn or opportunity to play

(2)

: the reserve players on a team

broadly : a reserve force

2

a

: the seat where a judge sits in court

b

: the place where justice is administered : court

c

: the office or dignity of a judge

sat on the bench for 20 years

d

: the persons who sit as judges

3

a

: the office or dignity of an official

b

: a seat for an official

c

: the officials occupying a bench

4

a

: a long worktable

also : laboratory

bench chemist

bench test

b

: a table forming part of a machine

5

: terrace, shelf: such as

a

: a former wave-cut shore of a sea or lake or floodplain of a river

b

: a shelf or ridge formed in working an open excavation on more than one level

6

: a compartmented platform on which dogs or cats are kept at a show when not being judged

bench

2 of 2

verb

benched; benching; benches

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with benches

2

a

: to seat on a bench

b(1)

: to remove from or keep out of a game

broadly : to remove from use or from a position

(2)

: to remove from the starting lineup

3

: to exhibit (dogs or cats) to the public on a bench

4

: to lift (a weight) in a bench press

bench 200 pounds

intransitive verb

: to form a bench by natural processes

Synonyms

Noun

• adjudicator
• beak [chiefly British]
• court
• judge
• jurist
• justice
• magistrate

Example Sentences

Noun

The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench.

her recent appointment to the bench

Verb

The manager benched one of his most popular players.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Thursday was his first time coming off the bench since Dec. 7, with starts in his 15 previous games. —Detroit Free Press, 20 Jan. 2023

And Tristen Rhodes, who plays significant minutes off the bench, has hit clutch 3s this year. —Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 20 Jan. 2023

Novak had his One Shining Moment, coming off the bench to hit all four of his three-point attempts (three of them coming in the first 2 minutes, 57 seconds of overtime). —Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2023

Rickea Jackson led the Vols (15-6-, 7-0) with 16 points off the bench and Jordan Horston logged a double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. —Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2023

Arkansas freshman forward Jordan Walsh had 12 points in 13 minutes off the bench before fouling out with 6:48 left. —Bob Holt, Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2023

Micah Parrish had 15 off the bench on 5 of 5 shooting, including a clutch four-point play down the stretch in regulation. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2023

And that’s the Sooners second-best offensive scorer off the bench. —Dallas News, 18 Jan. 2023

In addition, undrafted rookie Orlando Robinson played as the Heat reserve center ahead of veteran Dewayne Dedmon, who has not played since last week’s one-game team suspension for storming off the bench. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2023

Verb

The Kansas City Royals hired Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as manager Sunday night, turning over the young core of a rebuilding franchise to a forward-thinking manager with experience winning in a small market. —Dave Skretta, ajc, 31 Oct. 2022

The Kansas City Royals hired Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as manager Sunday night, turning over the young core of a rebuilding franchise to a forward-thinking manager with experience winning in a small market. —Dave Skretta, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Oct. 2022

Damion Collins’ dunk with 36 seconds left in the first half gave Kentucky’s bench its first points of the game. —J.l. Kirven, The Courier-Journal, 31 Dec. 2022

Then, in a surprise, the team chose to bench him against a right-handed starter facing elimination in Game 4 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres. —Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2022

But the immune-evasive strains recently forced the FDA to bench the last available antibody treatment for COVID-19 patients. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2022

But once Monday’s broadcast rolled around — sans Robach and Holmes, as ABC News decided to bench the pair — numbers fell back to their usual range. —Selome Hailu, Variety, 9 Dec. 2022

Likewise, 2018 No. 1 draft pick Baker Mayfield has been a flop with the Panthers (3-8) since coming over from the Cleveland Browns, prompting interim head coach Steve Wilks to bench him this week for Sam Darnold. —Mark Heim | [e-mail], al, 27 Nov. 2022

Maybe, one day there will be a five-part Netflix documentary that explains Belichick’s decision to bench Butler. —Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Nov. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English benc; akin to Old High German bank bench

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Phrases Containing bench

• bench seat
• bench press
• bench warrant
• front bench
• deacon's bench
• optical bench
• bench mark
• the bench
• bench jockey
• coming off the bench

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• bench seat
• bench press
• bench warrant
• front bench
• deacon's bench
• optical bench
• bench mark
• the bench
• bench jockey
• coming off the bench

See More

Kids Definition

bench

1 of 2 noun

ˈbench 

1

a

: a long seat for two or more persons

b

: a seat where the members of a team wait for a chance to play

2

a

: the seat where a judge sits in a court of law

b

: the position or rank of a judge

appointed to the bench

c

: a person or persons engaged in judging

3

a

: a long table for holding tools and work

b

: shelf sense 2

bench

2 of 2 verb

1

: to furnish with benches

2

: to seat on a bench

3

: to remove from or keep out of a game

Legal Definition

bench

noun

1

: the place where a judge sits in court

asked counsel to approach the bench

compare bar sense 1a, dock, jury box, sidebar, stand

2

: the court or system of courts serving an area

the federal bench

3

a

: the office of a judge

appointed to the bench

b

: the body of persons who hold positions as judges

members of the bench and bar

compare bar sense 2a

c

: a judge or panel of judges hearing a case

unless the lawyer is responding to a question from the bench

—R. H. Bork

Biographical Definition

Bench

biographical name

ˈbench 

Johnny (Lee) 1947–     American baseball player