# bench

Pronunciation: say "BENCH" /bɛnt͡ʃ/

## Noun

1. A long seat, with or without a back, for several people, such as those found in parks and schools.
   - Simple: A long seat for two or more people, often found in parks or schools.
   - _An old wooden bench overlooks the duck pond._
   - _Visitors rested on the benches lining the museum hallway._
2. The seat in a court of law where the judges sit.
   - Simple: The seat in a courtroom where the judge or judges sit.
   - _Both attorneys were called to the bench for a quiet word with the judge._
   - _The judge stepped down from the bench and walked over to the jury box to look at the exhibit._
3. The people who decide on a verdict, considered collectively; the judiciary.
   - Simple: The judge or judges in a court, thought of as one group.
   - _The bench questioned both attorneys sharply during oral argument._
   - _The full bench ruled unanimously in the company's favor._
4. A horizontal padded surface, usually adjustable in height and angle and often fitted with a weight rack, used to keep proper posture during exercise.
   - Simple: A padded seat at the gym that you lie or sit on while lifting weights.
   - _She adjusted the bench to a slight incline before her next set._
   - _Each station in the weight room includes a bench and a set of dumbbells._
5. A sturdy table or surface where assembly or hand work is done; a workbench.
   - Simple: A strong table where people build or fix things with their hands.
   - _The jeweler bent over her bench, setting a tiny stone into the ring._
   - _Half-finished birdhouses covered the bench in his workshop._
6. The seating area where substitute players and coaches sit while not taking part in the game.
   - Simple: The place where players and coaches sit when they are not in the game.
   - _After his third foul, he spent the rest of the quarter on the bench._
   - _The injured goalkeeper watched from the bench as her replacement warmed up._
9. The weight a person is able to bench press, especially their maximum lift.
   - Simple: The biggest weight someone can push up while lying on their back.
   - _Her bench improved more slowly than her squat over the winter._
   - _The recruiter asked whether his bench had reached 300 pounds yet._
10. A seat on which a group of people sit together while acting in an official capacity.
   - Simple: A seat where people sit together as part of their official job.
   - _The five commissioners filed in and took their places at the bench before the public hearing opened._
   - _In the old meeting house, the selectmen had their own bench at the front, apart from the townspeople._
11. A long seat occupied by politicians in a parliamentary chamber.
   - Simple: A long seat where politicians sit in a parliament.
   - _Opposition members pounded their benches in protest as the bill passed._
   - _The prime minister took her seat on the front bench amid cheers._
12. The number of players on a team available to participate, often described in terms of length or depth.
   - Simple: How many good extra players a team has ready to play.
   - _With a deep bench, the team survived three injuries to its starters._
   - _Critics said the league's expansion left every roster with a thinner bench._
14. A kitchen surface on which food is prepared; a counter. *(Australia, New Zealand)*
   - Simple: A flat kitchen surface where you prepare food.
   - _She kneaded the dough right on the bench beside the sink._
   - _Dirty mixing bowls covered every inch of the bench after the baking marathon._
15. A narrow, fairly level shelf of land with steeper ground rising above it and falling away below.
   - Simple: A narrow strip of flat ground on a hillside, with steeper land above and below it.
   - _The trail follows a narrow bench carved into the mountainside by an ancient river._
   - _Mule deer graze on the grassy benches between the valley floor and the ridgeline._
16. The people who hold a particular type of official seat, considered collectively; a body of officeholders.
   - Simple: All the people who hold the same kind of official position, seen as one group.
   - _The episcopal bench in the House of Lords opposed the measure._
   - _For centuries, the bench of aldermen controlled the city's finances._
17. The position of a judge, including its authority and status.
   - Simple: The job and authority of being a judge.
   - _Her elevation to the bench capped a distinguished legal career._
   - _He resigned from the bench rather than face the ethics inquiry._
18. The standing and prestige that belong to a person who holds an official seat.
   - Simple: The honor and respect that come with holding an official position.
   - _Years of petty corruption had tarnished the bench he occupied._
   - _On taking office, she vowed to uphold the bench with humility._
19. The counter in a bathroom that the washbasin is set into or sits on. *(Australia, New Zealand)*
   - Simple: The flat surface in a bathroom that holds the sink.
   - _He set his razor down on the bench beside the basin._
   - _The remodeled bathroom features a stone bench with two inset basins._
20. A flat ledge formed in the slope of an earthwork, masonry structure, or similar construction.
   - Simple: A flat step built into the sloping side of a wall or bank of earth.
   - _Engineers cut a bench into the embankment to slow erosion and catch loose soil._
   - _Each bench in the quarry wall is wide enough to carry a haul road._

## Verb

7. To remove a player from active play during a game.
   - Simple: To take a player out of the game so they sit and watch.
   - _The manager benched the slumping shortstop for the weekend series._
   - _Coaches sometimes bench star players to rest them before the playoffs._
8. To lift a given weight by performing a bench press. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To lift a weight while lying on your back on a special seat.
   - _By the end of the season, he could bench 250 pounds._
   - _She benches on Mondays and squats on Thursdays._
13. To take someone out of a responsible role for a time, without permanently removing them from it.
   - Simple: To stop someone from doing their job or task for a short time.
   - _The firm benched the analyst while it investigated the trading errors._
   - _Network executives decided to bench the anchor during the scandal._
21. To furnish a place with benches.
   - Simple: To put benches in a place so people can sit.
   - _Donors paid to bench the memorial garden with engraved oak seats._
   - _The parks department benched the entire waterfront promenade last year._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public, traditionally on benches or raised platforms.
- (noun) A bracket used to mount land surveying equipment onto a stone or a wall.
- (verb) To place on a bench or seat of honour.
- (verb) To push a person backward against a conspirator behind them who is on their hands and knees, causing them to fall over.
- (verb) Alternative spelling of bentsh.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–7, 10–21** — From Middle English "bench", from Old English "benċ" ("bench"), going back through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic "*bankiz" to Proto-Indo-European "*bʰeg-". It is related to Dutch "bank", German "Bank", and Swedish "bänk", and is a doublet of "banc", "banco", and "bank".
**Meanings 8–9** — Formed by shortening the phrase "bench press".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bench (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).