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
Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 June 2026
All that said, the inability of Illinois’ political leaders to get their act together so as to put an alternative on the table in the face of Indiana’s aggressive move to poach the Bears is a stinging indictment of this state’s politicians.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
Paish likes to poach a julienned onion in butter before blending it with his steak marinades and using that intensely flavorful liquid as a baste to apply during grilling or roasting.
—Laura Manzano, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026
Muratore said Blue Origin started poaching SpaceX employees to work on its Florida pad even before SpaceX completed the SLC-40 rebuild nearly a decade ago.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poach
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Verb
And the job of those rangers is to ensure that there isn't any contact at all because there is some level of poaching.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 June 2026
All that said, the inability of Illinois’ political leaders to get their act together so as to put an alternative on the table in the face of Indiana’s aggressive move to poach the Bears is a stinging indictment of this state’s politicians.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
Paish likes to poach a julienned onion in butter before blending it with his steak marinades and using that intensely flavorful liquid as a baste to apply during grilling or roasting.
—Laura Manzano, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026
Muratore said Blue Origin started poaching SpaceX employees to work on its Florida pad even before SpaceX completed the SLC-40 rebuild nearly a decade ago.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for poach
Cite this Entry
“Poach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poach. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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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