poacher
poacher Lexical Profile
poacher Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who hunts, traps, or catches wild animals, birds, or fish illegally, either by trespassing on private or protected land or by violating wildlife conservation laws.
"Park rangers patrolled the reserve day and night to deter any poacher attempting to trap endangered wildlife."
A specialized kitchen pan or vessel designed for cooking food—especially eggs or whole fish—gently in a small amount of simmering liquid or steam.
"She lightly buttered the cups of the egg poacher before placing it over simmering water."
A person or organization that unfairly or aggressively recruits employees, clients, or talent away from a competitor, or appropriates another's ideas.
"The rival firm gained a reputation as a ruthless talent poacher within the software industry."
British In soccer and other team sports, a forward who specializes in lingering inside the penalty area to score goals opportunistically from close range.
"The veteran striker was a classic goal poacher who always seemed to be in the right place for a rebound."
Any of various small, bottom-dwelling, cold-water marine fishes of the family Agonidae, native primarily to the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans and characterized by elongated bodies completely covered in overlapping bony plates.
"During the intertidal survey in Puget Sound, the marine biologist identified a juvenile sturgeon poacher camouflaged against the sandy seabed."
• Rhymes for poacher
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed from the verb 'poach' plus the agentive suffix '-er'. In the sense of an illegal hunter, 'poach' derives from Middle French 'pochier' (to thrust or poke, meaning to encroach upon someone else's land), whereas the culinary sense comes from Old French 'pochier' (to enclose in a bag or pouch, referring to how egg whites envelop the yolk).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.