poach

/pəʊtʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /pəʊtʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpōch/ (ame, mw)

poach — verb

  • poachpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • poacheshe / she / it
  • poachedpast simple
  • poaching-ing form

1. to cook food in hot liquid kept just below a full boil, especially eggs without

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to cook food in hot liquid kept just below a full boil, especially eggs without shells or delicate fish.

例句

Chef Mina poached two eggs while the bread warmed in the oven.

poach + egg

Dad poached the salmon in milk for our Sunday lunch.

poach + fish + in liquid

同義詞
  • boil

    broader and often hotter; poaching uses gentler heat

  • simmer

    describes the heat level and can be part of poaching

  • coddle

    used mainly for eggs cooked very gently

  • stew

    usually means longer cooking of pieces in more liquid

反義詞
  • fry

    to cook in hot oil or fat instead of water or broth

  • roast

    to cook with dry heat in an oven

文法句型

poach + egg/fish/fruit

poach + noun phrase + in + liquid

用法筆記

Object is usually eggs, fish, fruit, or chicken. The liquid stays just under a full boil; if it bubbles hard, speakers normally say 'boil' rather than 'poach'.

常見錯誤

❌Boil the eggs fast for two minutes to poach them.
✅Poach the eggs in gently simmering water for two minutes.
💡poaching uses liquid just below a full boil, not hard bubbling water.

2. to hunt or catch wild animals or fish illegally, especially on land or water you

2.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to hunt or catch wild animals or fish illegally, especially on land or water you do not have permission to use.

例句

Two men were caught poaching deer near the village at dawn.

intransitive: poaching deer

Rangers say people still poach turtles on the island beach.

同義詞
  • hunt

    broader and neutral; it can be legal or illegal

  • trap

    more specific, focusing on catching animals with devices

  • fish

    used only for fish and can be legal

  • trespass

    focuses on entering land without permission, not on taking animals

反義詞
  • protect

    to keep wild animals safe from harm

  • conserve

    to preserve wildlife and natural populations

文法句型

poach + animals/fish

poach from + river/lake

poach on + private land

用法筆記

Can be intransitive ('They were poaching again') or transitive ('They poached deer'). Object is usually wild animals, birds, or fish, and the verb often appears with places such as 'on his land' or 'from the river'.

常見錯誤

❌They poached the forest last night.
✅They poached deer in the forest last night.
💡the object is the animal or fish taken, not the place.

3. to make use of something as if it were yours, especially an idea you got from an

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

to make use of something as if it were yours, especially an idea you got from another person without giving credit.

例句

Nina accused the rival brand of poaching her ad campaign idea.

poach + idea

That blog poached recipes from home cooks without naming them.

同義詞
  • steal

    general and stronger; it can refer to any object, not just ideas or content

  • appropriate

    formal, often used for taking ideas or work as your own

  • copy

    weaker, focusing on making something similar rather than claiming it

  • plagiarize

    mainly for words, writing, or creative work presented without credit

反義詞
  • credit

    to state clearly who created the original work

  • share

    to let others use something openly rather than taking it secretly

文法句型

poach + idea/design/recipe

poach + content from + source

用法筆記

Object is usually something non-physical such as an idea, recipe, design, or line of code. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense takes things or content, not employees.

常見錯誤

❌He poached my pen from the desk.
✅He took my pen from the desk.
💡poach is mainly used for ideas, content, or similar non-physical things, not ordinary objects.

4. to persuade a skilled worker to leave another company and join yours, often by o

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

to persuade a skilled worker to leave another company and join yours, often by offering better pay or conditions.

例句

The Seoul club poached our best striker during the summer break.

A small startup poached three engineers from a big bank.

poach + staff from company

同義詞
  • headhunt

    focuses on actively searching for a talented worker, often for a senior job

  • recruit

    broader and neutral; it does not imply taking someone from a rival

  • lure away

    emphasizes attraction with better terms or status

  • steal

    informal in business and sport, often used when a rival loses staff

反義詞
  • retain

    to keep staff from leaving

  • lose

    neutral opposite when a company cannot keep a worker

文法句型

poach + employee/player

poach + staff from + company

be poached by + rival

用法筆記

Common in business and sport. Object is usually a skilled employee, player, or coach, and the passive is frequent: 'was poached by a rival'. Distinguish from sense 3: here the thing taken is a person, not an idea.

常見錯誤

❌The startup poached to our engineer last month.
✅The startup poached our engineer last month.
💡poach takes a direct object for the person taken.