Poach

Pronunciation: /poʊtʃ/

Definitions of poach

verb to take or acquire in an unfair or dishonest way

Example Sentences

A1 She poached an egg for breakfast.

A2 The chef was fired for poaching recipes from other restaurants.

B1 The company was accused of poaching employees from its competitors.

B2 Poaching wildlife is a serious crime that can result in hefty fines and jail time.

C1 The politician was caught trying to poach votes from his opponent.

C2 The art thief was known for poaching valuable paintings from museums around the world.

Examples of poach in a Sentence

formal The company has a strict policy against poaching employees from competitors.

informal I heard that company X tried to poach some of our best engineers.

slang I can't believe she tried to poach my idea and pass it off as her own.

figurative The hunter silently crept through the forest, hoping to poach a deer for dinner.

Grammatical Forms of poach

• past tense: poached
• plural: poaches
• comparative: more poached
• superlative: most poached
• present tense: poach
• future tense: will poach
• perfect tense: have poached
• continuous tense: is poaching
• singular: poach
• positive degree: poached
• infinitive: to poach
• gerund: poaching
• participle: poaching

Origin and Evolution of poach

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'poach' originated from the Middle English word 'pochen' which meant to enclose in a bag or pocket.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'poach' evolved to refer to the illegal hunting or fishing of game on someone else's property, especially land or water that is privately owned. It can also refer to the act of cooking food by simmering it gently in water or other liquid.