poach
1 of 2verb (1)
ˈpōch 
poached; poaching; poaches
transitive verb
: to cook in simmering liquid
poach
2 of 2verb (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)
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 Rabil and his brother Mike took matters into their own hands, and document their journey raising capital, attempting to poach top players, fight off lawsuits, and persevere through a global pandemic to launch the Premier Lacrosse League. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 June 2022 Members of the Arkansas PBS Commission had worried that Louisiana Public Broadcasting would poach Pledger with an offer with higher pay while lawmakers deliberated increasing her salary. Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2022 One popular possibility reported on and bandied about since the news broke June 30 that UCLA and USC are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten is that the Big 12 would try and poach between 4-6 schools. Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 July 2022 In the Past year, Sebastián, a developer based in Ecuador, has received more LinkedIn messages from recruiters trying to poach him than ever before. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 Bring water to 140 degrees (below a simmer), and let sweetbreads gently poach for 2 hours. Kathleen Squires, WSJ, 16 June 2022 Meanwhile the Big 12, which banded together as the remaining eight schools added four new members, appears poised to poach any Pac-12 schools with a wandering eye. Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022 Geographically, trying to poach from the 11-team Mountain West, which spreads from the Northern California coast (San Jose State) out to Fort Collins, Colo. Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 July 2022 See More
Verb
JetBlue’s acquisition is a move to poach Spirit for its planes and pilots, not its business model, Boyd said. Hannah Sampson, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 Rabil and his brother Mike took matters into their own hands, and document their journey raising capital, attempting to poach top players, fight off lawsuits, and persevere through a global pandemic to launch the Premier Lacrosse League. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 June 2022 Members of the Arkansas PBS Commission had worried that Louisiana Public Broadcasting would poach Pledger with an offer with higher pay while lawmakers deliberated increasing her salary. Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2022 One popular possibility reported on and bandied about since the news broke June 30 that UCLA and USC are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten is that the Big 12 would try and poach between 4-6 schools. Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 July 2022 In the Past year, Sebastián, a developer based in Ecuador, has received more LinkedIn messages from recruiters trying to poach him than ever before. Wired, 13 Aug. 2022 Bring water to 140 degrees (below a simmer), and let sweetbreads gently poach for 2 hours. Kathleen Squires, WSJ, 16 June 2022 Meanwhile the Big 12, which banded together as the remaining eight schools added four new members, appears poised to poach any Pac-12 schools with a wandering eye. Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022 Geographically, trying to poach from the 11-team Mountain West, which spreads from the Northern California coast (San Jose State) out to Fort Collins, Colo. Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 July 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
poach 1 of 2
verb
ˈpōch
poached; poaching
: to cook slowly in liquid
poach
2 of 2verb
poached; poaching
: to hunt or fish unlawfully
poaching 1 of 2
noun
as in smuggling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- smuggling
- looting
- kidnapping
- plundering
- rapine
- rustling
- despoliation
- piracy
- pilfering
- hijacking
- spoliation
- abduction
- shoplifting
- carjacking
- pillage
- banditry
- despoilment
- pilferage
- embezzlement
- highjacking
- kidnaping
- shanghaiing
- stealing
- black marketeering
- filching
- theft
- graft
- purloining
- burglary
- thievery
- robbery
- embezzling
- peculation
- misappropriation
- larceny
- petit larceny
- petty larceny
- misapplication
- housebreaking
poaching
2 of 2verb
as in boiling
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam poaching fish in a stock flavored with white wine Synonyms & Similar Words
- boiling
- simmering
- parboiling
- stewing
- steaming
- coddling
- pressure-cooking
- reboiling
- braising
- scalding
- smothering
- fricasseeing