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bench

 - 11 dictionary results

bench

[bench]
–noun
1. a long seat for several persons: a bench in the park.
2. a seat occupied by an official, esp. a judge.
3. such a seat as a symbol of the office and dignity of an individual judge or the judiciary.
4. the office or dignity of various other officials, or the officials themselves.
5. Sports.
a. the seat on which the players of a team sit during a game while not playing.
b. thequality and number of the players of a team who are usually used as substitutes: A weak bench hurt their chances for the championship.
6. Informal. bench press.
7. Also called workbench. the strong worktable of a carpenter or other mechanic.
8. a platform on which animals are placed for exhibition, esp. at a dog show.
9. a contest or exhibition of dogs; dog show.
10. Physical Geography. a shelflike area of rock with steep slopes above and below.
11. Mining. a step or working elevation in a mine.
12. berm (def. 2).
–verb (used with object)
13. to furnish with benches.
14. to seat on a bench or on the bench: an election that benched him in the district court.
15. to place (a show dog or other animal) in exhibition.
16. to cut away the working faces of (a mine or quarry) in benches.
17. Sports. to remove from a game or keep from participating in a game: to be benched because of poor hitting.
18. on the bench,
a. serving as a judge in a court of law; presiding.
b. Sports. (of a player) not participating in play, either for part or all of a game.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME, OE benc; c. OFris benk, OS, D, OHG bank, ON bekkr < Gmc *bank-i-; see bank 1


benchless, adjective

Bench

[bench]
–noun
Johnny, born 1947, U.S. baseball player.

berm

[burm]
–noun
1. Also, berme. Fortification. a horizontal surface between the exterior slope of a rampart and the moat.
2. Also called bench. any level strip of ground at the summit or sides, or along the base, of a slope.
3. Also called backshore, beach berm. a nearly flat back portion of a beach, formed of material deposited by the action of the waves.
4. Chiefly Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. the bank of a canal or the shoulder of a road.
5. Chiefly Alaska. a mound of snow or dirt, as formed when clearing land.
6. a bank of earth placed against an exterior wall or walls of a house or other building as protection against extremes of temperature.
–verb (used with object)
7. to cover or protect with a berm: The side walls were bermed to a height of three feet.

Origin:
1720–30; < F berme < D berm; akin to brim 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bench
bench   (běnch)   
n.  
  1. A long seat, often without a back, for two or more persons.

  2. Nautical A thwart in a boat.

  3. Law

    1. The seat for judges in a courtroom.

    2. The office or position of a judge.

    3. often Bench The judge or judges composing a court.

    4. A seat occupied by a person in an official capacity.

    5. The office of such a person.

    6. The place where the players on a team sit when not participating in a game.

    7. The reserve players on a team.

    8. A level, narrow stretch of land interrupting a declivity.

    9. A level elevation of land along a shore or coast, especially one marking a former shoreline.

    1. A seat occupied by a person in an official capacity.

    2. The office of such a person.

    3. The place where the players on a team sit when not participating in a game.

    4. The reserve players on a team.

    5. A level, narrow stretch of land interrupting a declivity.

    6. A level elevation of land along a shore or coast, especially one marking a former shoreline.

  4. A strong worktable, such as one used in carpentry or in a laboratory.

  5. A platform on which animals, especially dogs, are exhibited.

  6. Sports

    1. The place where the players on a team sit when not participating in a game.

    2. The reserve players on a team.

    3. A level, narrow stretch of land interrupting a declivity.

    4. A level elevation of land along a shore or coast, especially one marking a former shoreline.

    1. A level, narrow stretch of land interrupting a declivity.

    2. A level elevation of land along a shore or coast, especially one marking a former shoreline.

tr.v.   benched, bench·ing, bench·es
  1. To furnish with benches.

  2. To seat on a bench.

  3. To show (dogs) in a bench show.

  4. Sports To keep out of or remove from a game: benched the goalie for fighting.

  5. Sports To bench-press.


[Middle English, from Old English benc.]
Bench   (běnch)   
American baseball player considered among the greatest catchers in history. In 16 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (1967-1983), he was the National League's most valuable player twice (1970 and 1972).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
bench

  1. tv.
    to take someone out of a ball game. : The coach benched Jim, who injured his arm.
  2. tv.
    to retire someone; to withdraw someone from something. : The manager benched the entire sales staff for cheating on their expense reports.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

bench 
O.E. benc "long seat," from P.Gmc. *bankiz (cf. Da. bænk, M.Du. banc, O.H.G. banch). Used for "office of a judge" since 1292. Sporting sense (in baseball, N.Amer. football, etc.) is from 1912; the verb meaning "to take out of the game" is from 1917. Hence, also, bench-warmer (1892). Benchmark "surveyor's point of reference" is from 1842; fig. sense is from 1884.
"The days for 'bench-warmers' with salaries are also past." ["New York Sporting News," Jan. 9, 1892]

berm 
1729, from Fr. berme, from O.Du. baerm, related to brim (q.v.). In U.S., 19c., "the bank of a canal opposite the tow path."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: bench
Function: noun
1 : the place where a judge sits in court bench> —compare BAR 1a, DOCK, JURY BOX, SIDEBAR, STAND
2 : the court or system of courts serving an area bench> bench>
3 a : the office of a judge bench> b : the body of persons who hold positions as judges bench and bar> —compare BAR 2a c : a judge or panel of judges hearing a case bench —Railroad H. Bork>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Bible Dictionary

Bench

deck of a Tyrian ship, described by Ezekiel (27:6) as overlaid with box-wood.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Idioms & Phrases

bench

see on the bench; warm the bench.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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