poach

\ ˈpōch

How to pronounce poach (audio)

\

poached; poaching; poaches

Definition of poach

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

: to cook in simmering liquid

poach

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 Once the consomme was poured into the goblet, the table was asked to flip our hourglasses so that the prawn meat could poach in the hot liquid. — Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, "In fine dining, soup is the ultimate humblebrag," 2 Sep. 2019 Though the black rhino population has rebounded from the brink of extinction thanks to persistent conservation efforts, poaching and black-market trafficking of rhino horns remain a threat. — N'dea Yancey-bragg, USA TODAY, "Trump administration lets trophy hunter import body parts of rare rhino he paid $400K to kill," 9 Sep. 2019 His current contract only expires in 2023 but given his talent and huge potential, Gli Azzurri are keen to avoid their star midfielder to be poached by other top European clubs. — SI.com, "Napoli Midfielder Fabian Ruiz on the Verge of Signing New Deal Amid Paris Saint-Germain Links," 8 Sep. 2019 Other companies have taken to more desperate measures — poaching employees from other businesses, or turning a blind eye when employees test positive to marijuana. — R.a. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, "Higher pay, lax drug tests used to draw workers to construction," 29 Aug. 2019 But that has worsened another problem — poaching by competitors. — Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, "Colorado’s construction industry finds no relief from labor shortages," 28 Aug. 2019 Chelsea fans have watched enviously as their rivals have poached these prospects from around Europe, thanks to a one-year transfer ban. — M.j., The Economist, "Man City’s and Liverpool’s rivals have copied their transfer strategy," 10 Aug. 2019 Fox is suing Netflix for poaching two executives and is hunting for an injunction that would prevent the streaming giant from further interfering with Fox's agreements with employees. — Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "Netflix Tells Court It Shouldn't Have to Disclose Which Actors Have Long-Term Deals," 23 July 2019 After poaching was banned in Australia in the 1970s, saltwater crocodile populations exploded. — Matthew Abbott, New York Times, "The Revered Crocodiles of This Island Nation Have Suddenly Started Killing People," 6 June 2019

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.

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Learn More about poach

Dictionary Entries near poach

poach on someone's territory/turf

Statistics for poach

Last Updated

5 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for poach

The first known use of poach was in the 15th century

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