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
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025
Trump poached several Fox hosts and commentators for key positions in his administration, including border czar Tom Homan, who is now a regular guest across cable news defending Trump’s immigration policy.
—Brian Stelter, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
The Pac-12’s lawsuit against the Mountain West over the poaching penalty moves forward after a key March 25 hearing in the Northern District of California.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025
This included dishes from Tongshan in China’s Hubei Province, north of Guangdong, such as chickens poached in an inky mother soy sauce and spareribs tossed in a garlic-ginger glaze.
—Elyse Inamine, Bon Appétit, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for poach 
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Verb
Since starting at Starbucks in September, he’s already poached some of his former colleagues to help with his transformation of the coffee giant.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025
Trump poached several Fox hosts and commentators for key positions in his administration, including border czar Tom Homan, who is now a regular guest across cable news defending Trump’s immigration policy.
—Brian Stelter, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
The Pac-12’s lawsuit against the Mountain West over the poaching penalty moves forward after a key March 25 hearing in the Northern District of California.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025
This included dishes from Tongshan in China’s Hubei Province, north of Guangdong, such as chickens poached in an inky mother soy sauce and spareribs tossed in a garlic-ginger glaze.
—Elyse Inamine, Bon Appétit, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for poach
Dictionary Entries Near poach
Cite this Entry
“Poach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poach. Accessed 2 Feb. 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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