poach

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈpōch 

poached; poaching; poaches

transitive verb

: to cook in simmering liquid

poach

2 of 2

verb (2)

poached; poaching; poaches

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)

2

a

: 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

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• boil
• coddle
• parboil
• simmer
• stew

Examples of poach in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Though somewhat overshadowed by Saturday Night Live — which poached several SCTV cast members over the years — the series attracted a devoted audience and became a comedy classic. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024

Now, its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly trying to poach researchers from Google’s DeepMind division to work on Meta’s AI efforts. —Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024

The bears are also poached for parts—their gallbladders contain bile used in traditional Chinese medicine, and their paws are a culinary delicacy—and they are even captured for the exotic pet trade. —Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024

The Hammel House Inn & Restaurant The brunch buffet at Hammel House is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature salmon, ham, French toast, waffles, poached eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and more. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 11 Mar. 2024

No rhinos were poached in any other national parks. —Reuters, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024

The hunters were sentenced to four years of probation after pleading guilty to poaching in the Alaska park in 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska said in a news release Feb. 21. —Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024

About half of my extended family on my dad’s side works in a 7-Eleven store, except for my cousin, who was poached by 7-Eleven’s main competitor, Family Mart. —Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024

For decades, tech workers could easily hop between jobs in their networks, often poached by recruiters. —Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English pocchen, from Middle French pocher, from Old French poché poached, literally, bagged, from poche bag, pocket — more at pouch

Verb (2)

Middle French pocher, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle English poken to poke

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1611, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing poach

• poach on someone's territory/turf

Kids Definition

poach

1 of 2 verb

ˈpōch 

: to cook in simmering liquid

poached eggs

poach

2 of 2 verb

: to hunt or fish unlawfully

poacher noun

Etymology

Verb

Middle English pochen "to boil an egg without its shell so that the white covers the yolk like a bag," from early French pocher (same meaning), from earlier pochier, literally, "to put into a bag," from poche "bag, pocket"

Verb

from early French pocher "to hunt or fish unlawfully"