poach

[poʊtʃ]

poach Definition

• 1. to cook something, especially an egg, gently in boiling water
• 2. to hunt or catch game or fish illegally
• 3. to take someone else's ideas, work, or invention and use it for your own purposes

Using poach: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "poach" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  I'm going to poach an egg for breakfast.

• Example

  The park ranger arrested the men for poaching deer.

• Example

  The company was sued for poaching employees from its competitors.

• Example

  The artist accused the filmmaker of poaching her ideas for his movie.

poach Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for poach

• steal
• plagiarize
• pirate
• hunt illegally
• catch illegally

Antonyms for poach

• respect
• honor
• uphold

Phrases with poach

• poach an egg

  to cook an egg by gently simmering it in water

  Example

  I prefer to poach my eggs instead of frying them.

• poaching season

  the time of year when hunting or fishing is illegal

  Example

  During poaching season, the park rangers are on high alert.

• poach someone's territory

  to encroach on someone's area of expertise or responsibility

  Example

  The new employee was accused of poaching his colleague's territory.

Origins of poach

from Middle French 'pocher', meaning 'to enclose in a bag'

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Summary: poach in Brief

The verb 'poach' [poʊtʃ] has three main meanings. The first refers to cooking something, usually an egg, by gently boiling it. The second refers to hunting or catching game or fish illegally. The third refers to taking someone else's ideas or work and using it for your own purposes. Examples include 'I'm going to poach an egg for breakfast,' and 'The company was sued for poaching employees from its competitors.'