Bench Definition

bĕnch
benched, benches, benching
noun
benches
A long seat, often without a back, for two or more persons.
American Heritage
A long seat for several persons, with or without a back and often made of wood or stone.
Webster's New World
A thwart in a boat.
American Heritage
A seat between the two sides of a boat.
Webster's New World
The seat for judges in a courtroom.
American Heritage
verb
benched, benches, benching
To provide with benches.
Webster's New World
To seat on a bench.
American Heritage
To place on a bench, esp. an official one.
Webster's New World
To show (dogs) in a bench show.
American Heritage
To exhibit at a dog, or cat, show.
Webster's New World
idiom
on the bench
  • presiding in a law court; serving as a judge
  • not taking part in the game, as an auxiliary player
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Bench

Noun

Singular:
bench
Plural:
benches

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Bench

Origin of Bench

  • From Middle English bench, benk, bynk, from Old English benċ, benc (“bench”), from Proto-Germanic *bankiz (“bench”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend, curve, arch”). Cognate with Scots benk, bink (“bench”), West Frisian bank (“bench”), Dutch bank (“bench”), German Bank (“bench”), Danish bænk (“bench”), Swedish bänk (“bench”), Icelandic bekkur (“bench”). Related to bank.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old English benc

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From bench press by shortening.

    From Wiktionary

  • See bentsh.

    From Wiktionary

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