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| poach [ pōch ] (past and past participle poached, present participle poach·ing, 3rd person present singular poach·es) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb catch game illegally: to catch wild animals or fish illegally on public land or while trespassing on private land
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2. transitive and intransitive verb encroach on something: to encroach on somebody's rights, territory, or sphere of operation in order to appropriate or remove another person or thing
  The rival company's sales force was poaching on our turf.
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3. transitive and intransitive verb sports play somebody else's shot: to play a shot that properly should be handled by a partner in badminton, tennis, squash, or handball
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4. transitive and intransitive verb make ground muddy: to become muddy, or make ground muddy by trampling it
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5. intransitive verb sink into mud: to sink into soft earth or mud while walking across it
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| [Early 17th century. < Old French pocher "trample, trespass," probably < Germanic] |
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| poach·a·ble adjective |
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