poached; poaching; poaches
: to cook in simmering liquid
poached; poaching; poaches
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
1
: to trespass on
a field poached too frequently by the amateur—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
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
Examples of poach in a Sentence
Verb (1)
poaching fish in a stock flavored with white wine
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
That might require an influx of new players — whether via trade, poaching another team’s practice squad or waiver wire claims — and/a change up of the depth chart at some spots.
—Omar Kelly
october 19, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
While Meta has made headlines for poaching OpenAI and Google DeepMind staffers with $100 million signing-bonuses in the AI race, at its core, the company is known for chasing up-and-coming talent.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
The Mountain West believes it is owed $55 million from the Pac-12 under the terms of a scheduling agreement signed in December 2023 that attached a price tag of approximately $11 million to any school the Pac-12 poached.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poach
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Verb
Other managers, however, are scathing about Kinahan, accusing him of using illicit wealth to poach fighters.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
That might require an influx of new players — whether via trade, poaching another team’s practice squad or waiver wire claims — and/a change up of the depth chart at some spots.
—Omar Kelly
october 19, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
While Meta has made headlines for poaching OpenAI and Google DeepMind staffers with $100 million signing-bonuses in the AI race, at its core, the company is known for chasing up-and-coming talent.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
The Mountain West believes it is owed $55 million from the Pac-12 under the terms of a scheduling agreement signed in December 2023 that attached a price tag of approximately $11 million to any school the Pac-12 poached.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poach
Cite this Entry
“Poach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poach. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
poach
1 of 2 verb
: 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"
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