From Middle English pochen (“to poach (eggs)”), from Old French pocher "to put (egg yolks) in pockets" (i.e. in bags formed by the whites), from Old French poche (“pocket”).
Meanings
The act of cooking in simmering liquid.
Peaches are so perfect they need very little to make them extra special—just a quick poach in basil-scented rosé wine and a few adoring strawberries. 2005, Jill Dupleix, Good Cooking: The New Basics, page 152:
From Middle English pochen (“to poach (eggs)”), from Old French pocher "to put (egg yolks) in pockets" (i.e. in bags formed by the whites), from Old French poche (“pocket”).
Meanings
(transitive) To cook (something) in simmering or very hot liquid (usually water; sometimes wine, broth, or otherwise).
Eldridge closed the despatch-case with a snap and, rising briskly, walked down the corridor to his solitary table in the dining-car. Mulligatawny soup, poached turbot, roast leg of lamb—the usual railway dinner. 1931, Francis Beeding, “1/1”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps:
(intransitive) To be cooked in such manner.
The white of an egg with spirit of wine, doth bake the egg into clots, as if it began to poach. 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
bg варя (to cook in simmering liquid) · he שלק (to cook in simmering liquid) · cs pošírovat (to cook in simmering liquid) · bg варя се (to be cooked in simmering liquid) · ca escaldar (to cook in simmering liquid) · hy պաշոտ եփել (to cook in simmering liquid) · hu bever (to cook in simmering liquid) · es pochar (to cook in simmering liquid) · eo poĉi (to cook in simmering liquid) · cs mírně povařit (to cook in simmering liquid) · fi hautua (to be cooked in simmering liquid) · nl pocheren (to be cooked in simmering liquid) · fi hauduttaa (to cook in simmering liquid) · hu posíroz (to cook in simmering liquid) · de pochieren (to cook in simmering liquid) · pt escalfar (to cook in simmering liquid) · nl pocheren (to cook in simmering liquid) · es escalfar (to cook in simmering liquid) · es pocharse (to be cooked in simmering liquid) · mk се пошира (to be cooked in simmering liquid) · hu buggyant (to cook in simmering liquid) · sh poširanje (to cook in simmering liquid) · fr pocher (to cook in simmering liquid) · es escalfarse (to be cooked in simmering liquid) · mk поширање (to cook in simmering liquid)
From Old French pocher, pochier (“to trample, poach into”). Doublet of poke.
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To trespass on another's property to take fish or game.
(ambitransitive) To take game or fish illegally.
A 2016 study using carbon dating of more than 200 tusks from seizures spanning nine countries suggested that illegal ivory originates from elephants poached recently, instead of being pilfered from aging stockpiles kept by various nations. 2021 November 12, Christine Chung, “2 Ivory Smugglers Captured in International Operation, U.S. Says”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
(ambitransitive, broadly) To take anything illegally or unfairly.
Chelsea's embarrassment was symbolised by Ross Barkley's inexplicable header straight to the feet of Aguero to poach his second and Ilkay Gundogan capped that early blitz with a low drive. 2019 February 10, Phil McNulty, “Manchester City 6-0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport:
(figuratively) To intrude; to interfere; to get involved inappropriately, without welcome.
to poach in foreign academic disciplines
(ambitransitive) To entice (an employee or customer) to switch from a competing company to one's own.
EBay has accused three Amazon managers of illegally conspiring to poach its sellers, escalating a monthslong feud between two of the country’s largest e-commerce companies. 2019 August 1, Karen Weise, “EBay Accuses Amazon Managers of Conspiring to Poach Its Sellers”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my teamaker? 2006 November 3, Tim Hedrick, “Lake Laogai” (2:58 from the start), in Lauren MacMullan, director, Avatar: The Last Airbender, season 2 (Book Two: Earth), episode 17, spoken by Pao (George Cheung):
To make soft or muddy by trampling.
Cattle coming to drink had punched and poached the river bank into a mess of mud.
the poach'd filth that floods the middle street 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page)”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC:
To become soft or muddy by being trampled on.
Chalky and clay lands […] chap in summer, and poach in winter. 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:
(obsolete) To stab; to pierce; to spear or drive or plunge into something.
his horse poching one of his legs into some hollow ground 1673, William Temple, Observations upon the United Provinces:
And the laws of your wrastling are that neither shall strangle his adversary with his hands, nor bite him, nor claw nor scratch his flesh, nor poach out his eyes, nor smite him with his fists, nor do any other unfair thing against him, but in all other respects ye shall wrastle freely together. 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 20:
They vse alſo to poche them with an instrument somewhat like the Sammon-speare 1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall, London: […] S[imon] S[tafford] for Iohn Iaggard, […], →OCLC:
Mutt Malvern stands with a wicked blade in one hand and, in the other, a three-pronged leister spear of the sort used to poach fish or birds. 2011, Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races:
es sonsacar (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · fi salakalastaa (to take game or fish illegally) · sk pytliačiť (to take game or fish illegally) · sv tjuvfiska (to take game or fish illegally) · ja 密猟する (to take game or fish illegally) · es recolectar furtivamente (to take game or fish illegally) · pl kłusować (to take game or fish illegally) · bg бракониерствам (to take game or fish illegally) · es cazar furtivamente (to take game or fish illegally) · es talar furtivamente (to take game or fish illegally) · it pescare di frodo (to take game or fish illegally) · it cacciare di frodo (to take game or fish illegally) · ru перема́нивать (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · es (poaching) practicar furtivismo (to take game or fish illegally) · fr détourner (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · es cazar cabeza (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · fr braconner (to take game or fish illegally) · bg разрохквам (to make soft or muddy) · hy որսագողությամբ զբաղվել (to take game or fish illegally) · es hurtar (to take illegally or unfairly) · fi kalastaa salaa (to take game or fish illegally) · de klauen (to take illegally or unfairly) · de stehlen (to take illegally or unfairly) · sv tjuvjaga (to take game or fish illegally) · es quitar furtivamente (to take illegally or unfairly) · cs přetahovat (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · cs přetáhnout (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · cmn 盜獵 /盗猎 (to take game or fish illegally) · ja 密漁する (to take game or fish illegally) · fi kaapata (to take illegally or unfairly) · cy herwhela (to take game or fish illegally) · ja 横取りする (to take illegally or unfairly) · ru занима́ться браконье́рством (to take game or fish illegally) · fi kaapata (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · fi pehmetä (to become soft or muddy) · es pescar furtivamente (to take game or fish illegally) · de abwerben (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · fi pehmentää (to make soft or muddy) · mi kaihaumi (to take game or fish illegally) · eo ŝtelĉasi (to take game or fish illegally) · fi metsästää salaa (to take game or fish illegally) · pt caçar/pescar furtivamente (to take game or fish illegally) · fi salametsästää (to take game or fish illegally) · mk криволови (to take game or fish illegally) · fr débaucher (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · ru перемани́ть (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · wa bracner (to take game or fish illegally) · hy ձկնաագողությամբ զբաղվել (to take game or fish illegally) · de wildern (to take game or fish illegally) · gd poidsig (to take game or fish illegally) · mk ловокраде (to take game or fish illegally) · cs pytlačit (to take game or fish illegally) · it assumere (to entice an employee or customer to switch) · nl stropen (to take game or fish illegally)