poacher

¹

[ poh-cher ]

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.

poacher

²

[ poh-cher ]

noun

1. a pan having a tight-fitting lid and metal cups for steaming or poaching poach poaching eggs.
2. any dish or pan used for poaching poach poaching food, especially a baking dish for poaching poach poaching fish.

poacher

¹

/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

1. a metal pan with individual cups for poaching eggs

poacher

²

/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

1. a person who illegally hunts game, fish, etc, on someone else's property
2. poacher turned gamekeeper
   someone whose occupation or behaviour is the opposite of what it previously was, such as a burglar who now advises on home security

Word History and Origins

Origin of poacher¹

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

Origin of poacher²

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

Example Sentences

Prince William also spoke of Anton Mzimba, a ranger in South Africa who was killed by poachers, saying he was "assassinated in his home for doing his job, protecting the incredible biodiversity of this country".

From BBC

"He didn't really get much of a sniff today but he showed that he is a goalscorer, a poacher, someone that is ready whenever the opportunity comes."

From BBC

Rangers accompanied them with machine guns to protect them against wild animals like elephants or rhinos, or even poachers in the national park.

From BBC

Its location in England is being kept secret to protect the orchid from being squashed by flower tourists who want to look at it, or being stolen by a plant poacher.

From BBC

“Our aim was to try to buy animals from poachers and catch them on camera,” says Rodrigues.

From Los Angeles Times