rhizoverbBeta
DictionarypoachIllegal hunting
verb

poach

POHCH/pəʊtʃ/

To hunt or catch wildlife illegally.

A trespasser poaches a rabbit just inside the woodland fence.

A trespasser crouches beside a captured rabbit just inside a fenced private woodland, looking back toward the fence.
Etymology
poachFrenchto thrust, poke

The move from “thrust” to illegal hunting may picture thrusting oneself onto another's property. Alternatively, the hunting sense may come from French pocher, “to pocket,” referring to taking another's property.

In context

Papercut Audiobooks3:47
wrestle and poach deer
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer | The Reeve's Tale

More examples

  • Rangers patrol the park to stop people from poaching deer.
  • They were fined for poaching trout from a protected stream.
  • A rival company tried to poach our best engineer.

Forms

poach · poaches · poached · poaching

poacher noun — Someone who hunts or catches wildlife illegally.

Similar words

hunt
Hunt does not imply that pursuing wildlife is illegal.
steal
Steal means taking another's property, not specifically hunting wildlife.