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
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The Pittsburgh Steelers poached him in 2022 with the intention of creating an evaluation process similar to what the Eagles have built.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
But Miami is poised to poach Duke quarterback Darian Mensah from the Blue Devils after the university and Mensah were engaged in a legal battle over whether Mensah could transfer (a settlement was announced on Tuesday).
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Two soldiers at Fort Carson were convicted of poaching mule deer on the military and state land, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poach
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Verb
Their populations are threatened by habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and poaching, the World Wildlife Fund, one of the world's leading conservation organizations, stated on its website.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
The Pittsburgh Steelers poached him in 2022 with the intention of creating an evaluation process similar to what the Eagles have built.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
But Miami is poised to poach Duke quarterback Darian Mensah from the Blue Devils after the university and Mensah were engaged in a legal battle over whether Mensah could transfer (a settlement was announced on Tuesday).
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Two soldiers at Fort Carson were convicted of poaching mule deer on the military and state land, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 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 7 Feb. 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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