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
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Kelly was a high-profile hire by the Tigers, poaching him from Notre Dame following the 2021 season.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The most significant off-the-field news for a conference that doesn’t yet exist has unfolded in the courtroom, where the Pac-12 has successfully pulled the Mountain West into a lengthy, costly lawsuit over $55 million in poaching penalties.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
The letter reminded Burgum of the damage done when parks stayed open during past shutdowns, during which people pooped on roadsides in Yosemite, chopped down Joshua trees, and poached a pregnant elk in Zion.
—Gloria Liu, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poach
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Verb
More than seven years after his death at age 61, Bourdain remains a cultural force, and a powerful draw for CNN, which poached him from his previous perch at the Travel Channel in 2012.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Kelly was a high-profile hire by the Tigers, poaching him from Notre Dame following the 2021 season.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The most significant off-the-field news for a conference that doesn’t yet exist has unfolded in the courtroom, where the Pac-12 has successfully pulled the Mountain West into a lengthy, costly lawsuit over $55 million in poaching penalties.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
The letter reminded Burgum of the damage done when parks stayed open during past shutdowns, during which people pooped on roadsides in Yosemite, chopped down Joshua trees, and poached a pregnant elk in Zion.
—Gloria Liu, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 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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