bench

¹

[ bench ]

noun

1. a long seat for several people:

   a bench in the park.

2. a seat occupied by an official, especially a judge.
3. such a seat as a symbol of the office and dignity of an individual judge or the judiciary.
4. the office or dignity of various other officials, or the officials themselves.
5. 1. the seat on which the players of a team sit during a game while not playing.
   2. the quality and number of the players of a team who are usually used as substitutes:

      A weak bench hurt their chances for the championship.

   3. the quality and number of professionals or experts in reserve, to be called upon as needed:

      The country has a deep bench of scientists.

6. Informal. bench press.
7. Also called workbench. the strong worktable of a carpenter or other mechanic.
8. a platform on which animals are placed for exhibition, especially at a dog show.
9. a contest or exhibition of dogs; dog show.
10. Physical Geography. a shelflike area of rock with steep slopes above and below.
11. Mining. a step or working elevation in a mine.
12. berm ( def 2 ).

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with benches.
2. to seat on a bench or on the bench:

   an election that benched him in the district court.

3. to place (a show dog or other animal) in exhibition.
4. to cut away the working faces of (a mine or quarry) in benches.
5. Sports. to remove from a game or keep from participating in a game:

   to be benched because of poor hitting.

Bench

²

[ bench ]

noun

1. Johnny, born 1947, U.S. baseball player.

bench

/ bɛntʃ /

noun

1. a long seat for more than one person, usually lacking a back or arms
2. a plain stout worktable
3. the bench
   sometimes capital
   1. a judge or magistrate sitting in court in a judicial capacity
   2. judges or magistrates collectively
4. sport the seat on which reserve players and officials sit during a game
5. geology a flat narrow platform of land, esp one marking a former shoreline
6. a ledge in a mine or quarry from which work is carried out
7. (in a gymnasium) a low table, which may be inclined, used for various exercises
8. a platform on which dogs or other domestic animals are exhibited at shows
9. a hollow on a hillside formed by sheep

verb

1. to provide with benches
2. to exhibit (a dog, etc) at a show
3. to form (a track) up a hill by excavating a flattened area
4. sport to take or keep (a player) out of a game, often for disciplinary reasons

Other Words From

• bench·less adjective
• un·bench verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of bench¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English benc; cognate with Old Frisian benk, Old Saxon, Dutch, Old High German bank, Old Norse bekkr, from unattested Germanic bank-iz; bank ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bench¹

Old English benc ; related to Old Norse bekkr , Old High German bank , Danish, Swedish bänk ; see bank ³

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the bench,
   1. serving as a judge in a court of law; presiding.
   2. Sports. (of a player) not participating in play, either for part or all of a game.

More idioms and phrases containing bench

see on the bench ; warm the bench .

Example Sentences

That is said with a firm recognition and respect for the writers’ restraint in that department – an easy edit given the deep bench of seasoned performers in its cast.

From Salon

"The pipeline from bench to bedside is decades-long and often things that work in animals fail when they get to clinical trials. Is it taking so long because sex isn't being considered enough?" said Rowe.

From Science Daily

Prendergast, one of the stars of that under-20s side, has been rewarded for a steady debut off the bench against Argentina.

From BBC

At the time of the Nov. 5 election, there were 47 vacancies on the federal bench, with 17 nominees awaiting confirmation.

From Salon

Burghart raised a laugh on the Tory benches with a jibe about "real economists", as he accused the government of "stoking" inflation.

From BBC

Related Words

• board
• counter
• desk
• shelf