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
James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
However, Whalen reached in and poached it.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Do players really get poached from spring games?
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
The deaths represent a major loss for the park, which has been working to increase the number of hippos in recent decades after poaching and war reduced the population from over 20,000 to a few hundred by 2006.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poach
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Verb
Later, one of the company’s favorite tactics was to poach its competitors’ best engineers and coders—bad form, perhaps, but a good business tactic.
—James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
However, Whalen reached in and poached it.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Do players really get poached from spring games?
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
The deaths represent a major loss for the park, which has been working to increase the number of hippos in recent decades after poaching and war reduced the population from over 20,000 to a few hundred by 2006.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 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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