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
Use two yoga blocks, an aerobic step, or a bench to lessen the intensity of the movement. Jacqueline Andriakos, Health, 13 Mar. 2024 Deputies took Kamara out of the backseat, sat him on a bench and began fixing the handcuffs, Campbell said. Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024 The photo showed Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George sitting and smiling on a bench, as Charlotte wrapped an arm around each of her brothers. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 In one image, two dapper, older men have arranged themselves at a polite distance apart on a bench. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 In addition to Adebayo and Butler’s big games, Caleb Martin added 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from behind the arc, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 23 minutes off the Heat’s bench. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 Final Touches Lastly, the hat undergoes a secondary flanging before arriving at the hatter’s bench for final finishing, including creasing, polishing, and gentle steaming to relax the fibers and bring out the colors. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024 South Carolina outscored Arkansas 64-6 in bench points. Ethan Westerman, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024 After a Thursday bench trial, Curtis Wilson was convicted of two counts of felony criminal recklessness in the shooting. The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Wilson was benched late last season amid a tumultuous year with the team that many speculated would be his last. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Instead, baseball should permanently bench these awful uniforms. Steve Forbes, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Eventually, even with leading scorer Terrence Shannon benched because of fouls, the Illini got that range. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Jan. 2024 On Tuesday, the Miami Heat traded veteran guard Kyle Lowry, who had been benched, to the Charlotte Hornets for guard Terry Rozier. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024 Mariota was benched that December for rookie Desmond Ridder. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024 So Caitlin's father, Brent, benched her to compose herself. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 He was benched late for Podziemski in Memphis earlier this week, but that game was trending into a comfortable win. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024 He was benched in favor of Bailey Zappe down the stretch in 2023 and may have played his last game with the Patriots. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024

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 19 Mar. 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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