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
The Titans poached outside linebacker Truman Jones off of the Patriots’ practice squad, according to his agent, Joe Linta.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 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
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
The Titans poached outside linebacker Truman Jones off of the Patriots’ practice squad, according to his agent, Joe Linta.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 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
See All Example Sentences for poach
Cite this Entry
“Poach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poach. Accessed 31 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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