First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1bench
noun \ˈbench\
: a long and usually hard seat for two or more people
the bench law : the place where a judge sits in a court of law
: the position or rank of a judge
Full Definition of BENCH
1
a : a long seat for two or more persons b : a thwart in a boat c (1) : a seat on which the members of an athletic team await a turn or opportunity to play (2) : the reserve players on a team; broadly : a reserve force
2
a : the seat where a judge sits in court b : the place where justice is administered : court c : the office or dignity of a judge <sat on the bench for 20 years> d : the persons who sit as judges
3
a : the office or dignity of an official b : a seat for an official c : the officials occupying a bench
4
a : a long worktable; also : laboratory <bench chemist> <bench test> b : a table forming part of a machine
5
6
: a compartmented platform on which dogs or cats are kept at a show when not being judged
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Origin of BENCH
Middle English, from Old English benc; akin to Old High German bank bench
Related to BENCH
- Synonyms
- adjudicator, beak [chiefly British], judge, court, jurist, justice, magistrate
2bench
verb
sports : to not allow (a player) to play in a game : to put (a player) on the bench
Full Definition of BENCH
transitive verb
1
: to furnish with benches
2
a : to seat on a bench b (1) : to remove from or keep out of a game; broadly : to remove from use or from a position (2) : to remove from the starting lineup
3
: to exhibit (dogs or cats) to the public on a bench
4
: to lift (a weight) in a bench press <bench 200 pounds>
intransitive verb
: to form a bench by natural processes
See bench defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of BENCH
14th century
Bench
biographical name \ˈbench\
Definition of BENCH
Johnny (Lee) 1947– Am. baseball player
BENCH[1] Defined for Kids
bench
noun \ˈbench\
Definition of BENCH for Kids
1
: a long seat for two or more persons <a park bench>
2
: a long table for holding work and tools <a carpenter's bench>
3
: the position or rank of a judge
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