poacher

¹ American  

[poh-cher] / ˈpoʊ tʃər /

noun

1. a person who trespasses on private property, especially to catch fish or game illegally.

2. Also called sea-poacher.  any of several slender, marine fishes of the family Agonidae, found chiefly in deeper waters of the North Pacific, having the body covered with bony plates.

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poacher ² American  

[poh-cher] / ˈpoʊ tʃər /

noun

1. a pan having a tight-fitting lid and metal cups for steaming or poaching eggs.

2. any dish or pan used for poaching food, especially a baking dish for poaching fish.

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poacher ¹ British  

/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

1. a person who illegally hunts game, fish, etc, on someone else's property

2. someone whose occupation or behaviour is the opposite of what it previously was, such as a burglar who now advises on home security

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poacher ² British  

/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

1. a metal pan with individual cups for poaching eggs

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Etymology

Origin of poacher¹

First recorded in 1660–70; poach ² + -er ¹

Origin of poacher²

First recorded in 1860–65; poach ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

A poacher is someone who breaks the law to hunt or fish. If you see someone hunting deer in a state park that's got "No Hunting" signs posted on trees, that person is a poacher. If you don't follow the rules and laws about hunting, but grab your shotgun and head into your neighbor's yard to shoot rabbits, you're in danger of being a poacher. Someone who captures wild animals illegally is also a poacher. A completely different, much nicer kind of poacher is the one you use for poaching eggs — this type of poaching consists of gently cooking food by submerging it in simmering water.

Example Sentences

A fellow ranger, former poacher Festus Benjamin, 31, told AFP he now educates his peers on the value of preserving the park's wildlife.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

But he is a poacher in a differing mould to the towering Nick Woltemade, who likes to come in deep.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

But Erica Ford, as a cross-dressing game poacher and archer-in-disguise named Ralph, provides the kind of character and performance that delivers new blood and enlivens an old story.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

No, Marais isn't a poacher — quite the opposite.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2025

Will you capture the book first, or will a poacher?

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman