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

Loyalty programs offer them a potential new tool to attract riders, and a chance to keep pace with the ride-hail companies that are often accused of poaching their customer base. — David Zipper, WIRED, "Public Transit Agencies Think Rewards Programs Can Bring Back Riders," 7 July 2019 Asian elephants, nonetheless, do still face the threat of poaching for the ivory trade. — National Geographic, "Asian Elephant," 7 July 2019 Rhino populations began to plummet in the 1970s, and their numbers plunged dramatically starting in 2008, when demand from Chinese buyers led to a sharp increase in poaching. — Rebecca Boyle, Discover Magazine, "The Quixotic Quest to Birth a Baby Northern White Rhino," 25 June 2019 But high levels of poaching between 2009 to 2014 cut the number of elephants from about 12,000 to a little over 3,600 in 2016, according to an aerial survey. — Elise Hammond And Brian Ries, CNN, "An Africa wildlife preserve says an elephant hasn't been poached there in more than a year," 17 June 2019 Isotope testing showed the ivory was new, while the DNA tracked it to poaching hot spots in Cameroon and Gabon. — Sandi Doughton, The Seattle Times, "Sam Wasser pours his intense passion for protecting wildlife into research and catching poachers," 21 May 2019 As reported by The Verge, internal documents and interviews with former employees corroborated the claim that Uber was paying up a $750 commission for successfully poaching a Lyft driver. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "eBay is suing Amazon over an alleged “scheme” to steal its top sellers," 18 Oct. 2018 In addition to poaching the animals also face habitat loss. — Khaled Kazziha, BostonGlobe.com, "7 endangered rhinos dead in Kenya relocation bid," 13 July 2018 In addition to poaching the animals also face habitat loss. — Khaled Kazziha, chicagotribune.com, "8 endangered black rhinos die in Kenya after relocation," 13 July 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.