bench

English Online Dictionary. What means bench‎? What does bench mean?

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛnt͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

Etymology 1

From Middle English bench, benk, bynk, from Old English benċ (“bench”), from Proto-West Germanic *banki, from Proto-Germanic *bankiz (“bench”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-.

Cognate with Scots benk, bink (“bench”), West Frisian bank (“bench”), Dutch bank (“bench”), German Bank (“bench”), Danish bænk (“bench”), Swedish bänk (“bench”), Icelandic bekkur (“bench”). Doublet of banc, banco, and bank.

Alternative forms

• benk, bink (both dialectal)

Noun

bench (plural benches)

2. A long seat with or without a back, found for example in parks and schools.
3. (law) The seat where the judges sit in court.
   1. (law, figuratively) The people who decide on the verdict, collectively; the judiciary.

   2. (law, figuratively) The office or dignity of a judge.

4. A seat where people sit together in an official capacity.
   1. (government) A long seat for politicians in a parliamentary chamber.
   2. (figuratively) The dignity of holding an official seat.

   3. (figuratively) The people who hold a certain type of official seat, collectively; a group of officeholders.
5. (sports) The place where players (substitutes) and coaches sit when not playing.
   1. (sports, figuratively) The number of players on a team able to participate, expressed in terms of length.

6. A place where assembly or hand work is performed; a workbench.

7. A horizontal padded surface, usually adjustable in height and inclination and often with attached weight rack, used for proper posture during exercise.
   • 2008, Lou Schuler, "Foreward", in Nate Green, Built for Show, page xii

     I had no bench or power rack, so by necessity every exercise I did started with the weights on the floor.

8. (surveying) A bracket used to mount land surveying equipment onto a stone or a wall.

9. A flat ledge in the slope of an earthwork, work of masonry, or similar.
10. (geology) A thin strip of relatively flat land bounded by steeper slopes above and below.
11. (Australia, New Zealand) A kitchen surface on which to prepare food, a counter.
12. (Australia, New Zealand) A bathroom surface which holds the washbasin, a vanity.
13. A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public, traditionally on benches or raised platforms.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Hindi: बेंच (beñc)
• → Japanese: ベンチ (benchi)
• → Korean: 벤치 (benchi)
• → Swahili: benchi
• → Urdu: بِنْچ (binc)

Translations

Verb

bench (third-person singular simple present benches, present participle benching, simple past and past participle benched)

1. (transitive, sports) To remove a player from play.

   Synonym: sideline
2. (transitive, figuratively) To remove someone from a position of responsibility temporarily.
3. (slang) To push a person backward against a conspirator behind them who is on their hands and knees, causing them to fall over.
4. (transitive) To furnish with benches.
5. (transitive) To place on a bench or seat of honour.

Translations

Etymology 2

From bench press by shortening.

Verb

bench (third-person singular simple present benches, present participle benching, simple past and past participle benched)

1. (transitive and intransitive, colloquial) To lift by bench pressing

   I heard he can bench 150 pounds.

   • 1988, Frederick C. Hatfield, "Powersource: Ties that bind", Ironman 47 (6): 21.

     For the first several years of my exclusive career in powerlifting, I couldn't bench too well.

Translations

Noun

bench (plural benches)

1. (weightlifting) The weight one is able to bench press, especially the maximum weight capable of being pressed.

Translations

Etymology 3

See bentsh.

Verb

bench (third-person singular simple present benches, present participle benching, simple past and past participle benched)

1. Alternative spelling of bentsh

References