bench

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a long seat for two or more persons
b
: a thwart in a boat
c(1)
: a seat on which the members of an athletic team await a turn or opportunity to play
(2)
: the reserve players on a team
broadly : a reserve force
2
a
: the seat where a judge sits in court
b
: the place where justice is administered : court
c
: the office or dignity of a judge
sat on the bench for 20 years
d
: the persons who sit as judges
3
a
: the office or dignity of an official
b
: a seat for an official
c
: the officials occupying a bench
4
a
: a long worktable
also : laboratory
bench chemist
bench test
b
: a table forming part of a machine
5
: terrace, shelf: such as
a
: a former wave-cut shore of a sea or lake or floodplain of a river
b
: a shelf or ridge formed in working an open excavation on more than one level
6
: a compartmented platform on which dogs or cats are kept at a show when not being judged

bench

2 of 2

verb

benched; benching; benches

transitive verb

1
: to furnish with benches
2
a
: to seat on a bench
b(1)
: to remove from or keep out of a game
broadly : to remove from use or from a position
(2)
: to remove from the starting lineup
3
: to exhibit (dogs or cats) to the public on a bench
4
: to lift (a weight) in a bench press
bench 200 pounds

intransitive verb

: to form a bench by natural processes

Examples of bench in a Sentence

Noun The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench. her recent appointment to the bench Verb The manager benched one of his most popular players.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The 75-hectare park is easy to get to—it’s located on the tip of the Halifax peninsula—and offers plenty of wooded walking trails and benches for quiet contemplation in nature. Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Tip 4: Use a desk with a view as a balustrade On the mezzanine, a gray bench feels like a natural part of the apartment’s structure. Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
The Steelers have been one of the stories of the season so far, benching QB Justin Fields for veteran Russell Wilson ahead of their Week 7 game against the New York Jets despite boasting a 4-2 record. Ben Morse, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 Though the Ducks flirted with being tripled up by the Avs in shots on goal, another bright spot was rookie Cutter Gauthier, who had been essentially benched in the previous game. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bench 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bench.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English benc; akin to Old High German bank bench

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bench was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bench

Cite this Entry

“Bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bench. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bench

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a long seat for two or more persons
b
: a seat where the members of a team wait for a chance to play
2
a
: the seat where a judge sits in a court of law
b
: the position or rank of a judge
appointed to the bench
c
: a person or persons engaged in judging
3
a
: a long table for holding tools and work

bench

2 of 2 verb
1
: to furnish with benches
2
: to seat on a bench
3
: to remove from or keep out of a game

Legal Definition

bench

noun
1
: the place where a judge sits in court
asked counsel to approach the bench
compare bar sense 1a, dock, jury box, sidebar, stand
2
: the court or system of courts serving an area
the federal bench
3
a
: the office of a judge
appointed to the bench
b
: the body of persons who hold positions as judges
members of the bench and bar
compare bar sense 2a
c
: a judge or panel of judges hearing a case
unless the lawyer is responding to a question from the benchR. H. Bork

Biographical Definition

Bench

biographical name

Johnny (Lee) 1947–     American baseball player

More from Merriam-Webster on bench

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