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
Preston Fore, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
The decline in their population is driven largely by human activity, including habitat loss from logging and mining, as well as poaching and armed conflict in their native range in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to conservationists.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Their populations are threatened by habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and poaching, the World Wildlife Fund, one of the world's leading conservation organizations, stated on its website.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Cardinals kept Rams OC Mike LaFleur in the NFC West, poaching him from McVay’s staff to be their head coach.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poach
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Verb
Attempting to poach talent from competitors is likely to be costlier, and outside hires tend to take longer to adapt to internal systems and culture.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
The decline in their population is driven largely by human activity, including habitat loss from logging and mining, as well as poaching and armed conflict in their native range in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to conservationists.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Their populations are threatened by habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and poaching, the World Wildlife Fund, one of the world's leading conservation organizations, stated on its website.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Cardinals kept Rams OC Mike LaFleur in the NFC West, poaching him from McVay’s staff to be their head coach.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poach
Cite this Entry
“Poach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poach. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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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