poach

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈpōch 

poached; poaching; poaches

transitive verb

: to cook in simmering liquid

poach

2 of 2

verb (2)

poached; poaching; poaches

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)

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

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• boil
• coddle
• parboil
• simmer
• stew

Examples of poach in a Sentence

Verb (1)

poaching fish in a stock flavored with white wine

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The increase in the stipend comes as the PGA Tour has increased the prize money pool in its competitions as LIV Golf began poaching some of the legacy tour’s biggest talents. —Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 16 Dec. 2024

Walmart's move at the time -- poaching from one of Wall Street's elite firms diving headlong into online banking -- underscored the seriousness of the retailer's intent to weave itself into the financial lives of its customers. —Sridhar Natarajanand Jaewon Kang Bloomberg News (wpns), arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Winsor had been personally recruited by the developer Trammell Crow, who recognized his leadership skills and poached him from Texas Instruments. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 13 Dec. 2024

Stellantis rivals like General Motors and Ford have invested heavily in battery technology, even poaching top EV talent from Tesla. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English pocchen, from Middle French pocher, from Old French poché poached, literally, bagged, from poche bag, pocket — more at pouch

Verb (2)

Middle French pocher, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle English poken to poke

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1611, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing poach

• poach on someone's territory/turf

Kids Definition

poach

1 of 2 verb

ˈpōch 

: 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"