poach

verb (1)

\ˈpōch

poached; poaching; poaches

Definition of poach

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to cook in simmering liquid

poach

verb (2)

poached; poaching; poaches

Definition of poach (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to encroach upon especially for the purpose of taking something

2 : to trespass for the purpose of stealing game also : to take game or fish illegally

transitive verb

1 : to trespass on a field poached too frequently by the amateur — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

2a : to take (game or fish) by illegal methods

b : to appropriate (something) as one's own

c : to attract (someone, such as an employee or customer) away from a competitor

Examples of poach in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In May, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Facebook has been poaching recruiters from other Chicago companies so the social media company can make hundreds of new hires in the city. — Ryan Ori, chicagotribune.com, "Facebook, Google planning big Chicago office expansions," 1 June 2018 Partially cover pan and poach until white is firm (not runny) and yolk is opaque, 3½ to 4½ minutes. — Country Living, "Scrambled, Poached, or Hard Boiled, Here's How to Make the Perfect Egg Every Time," 8 Mar. 2018 This sort of technology would be particularly helpful to those who fight poaching on the front lines. — Virginia Gewin, The Atlantic, "A Handheld DNA Scanner Could Crack Down on Wildlife Identity Theft," 9 Feb. 2018 Robert Cresanti, the president and chief executive of the International Franchise Association, said in a letter to lawmakers last month that many chains have already abandoned no-poaching policies. — Washington Post, "7 fast-food chains agree to end ‘no-poaching’ policies," 12 July 2018 Jiffy Lube, H&R Block and Anytime Fitness are among the companies that have had no-poaching clauses in their franchisee contracts, according to Krueger and Ashenfelter. — Washington Post, latimes.com, "States launch investigation targeting fast-food hiring practices," 9 July 2018 Kaling is a newbie to food prepping, but she’s taken on some tricky recipes and ingredients, cooking sweet potatoes and string beans, chopping up mango chunks and poaching salmon. — Blake Bakkila, Health.com, "The Meal Prep Trick That Mindy Kaling Swears By," 9 July 2018 Meanwhile, China is tapping into American know-how another way: poaching talent. — Li Yuan, WSJ, "China Mines Silicon Valley for Tech Talent," 26 June 2018 Translocation is also enormously expensive, and securing the parks requires its own massive investment — the group now has the largest counter-poaching force of any private organization on the continent, around 1,000 rangers. — Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, "A 21st-century Noah’s ark transports animals back to places where they’ve been wiped out.," 18 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.