bench

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɛntʃ/, /bɛnʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /bɛnt͡ʃ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

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-.[1]

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.

• benk, bink (both dialectal)

bench (plural benches)

1. A long seat with or without a back, found for example in parks and schools.

   They sat on a park bench and tossed bread crumbs to the ducks and pigeons.

   • 2021 January 27, “Stop & Examine”, in RAIL, number 923, page 71, photo caption:

     Scarborough station's famous 139-metre-long bench, believed to be the longest in the world, has been restored in a £14,500 project.

2. (law) The seat where the judges sit in court.
   1. (law, figuratively) The people who decide on the verdict, collectively; the judiciary.

      They are awaiting a decision on the motion from the bench.

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

      She sat on the bench for 30 years before she retired.

3. A seat where people sit together in an official capacity.
   1. (government) A long seat for politicians in a parliamentary chamber.

      the government front bench

      • 2022 April 6, Conrad Landin, “ScotRail in the public eye...”, in RAIL, number 954, page 40:

        On the opposition benches at Holyrood, Scottish Labour's transport spokesman Neil Bibby favours a more formal approach of involving passenger and worker representatives in the management of ScotRail.

   2. (figuratively) The dignity of holding an official seat.

      the bench of bishops

      the civic bench

   3. (figuratively) The people who hold a certain type of official seat, collectively; a group of officeholders.
      • 2022 July 26, Mike Isaac, “‘Operating With Increased Intensity’: Zuckerberg Leads Meta Into Next Phase”, in The New York Times‎:

        Mr. Zuckerberg’s repositioning of Meta started in earnest last year, when he began rearranging his bench of lieutenants.

4. (sports) The place where players (substitutes) and coaches sit when not playing.

   He spent the first three games on the bench, watching.

   • 2011 March 1, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2 - 1 Man Utd”, in BBC‎:

     But Chelsea, who left Didier Drogba on the bench as coach Carlo Ancelotti favoured Fernando Torres, staged a stirring fightback to move up to fourth and keep United in their sights on a night when nothing other than victory would have kept the Blues in contention.

   1. (sports, figuratively) The number of players on a team able to participate, expressed in terms of length.

      Injuries have shortened the bench.

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

   She placed the workpiece on the bench, inspected it closely, and opened the cover.

6. 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.

7. (surveying) A bracket used to mount land surveying equipment onto a stone or a wall.[2]

   After removing the bench, we can use the mark left on the wall as a reference point.

8. A flat ledge in the slope of an earthwork, work of masonry, or similar.
   • 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 8, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:

     That number carried his glance to the top of this first bulging bench of cliff-base.

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

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

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

   They benched him for the rest of the game because they thought he was injured.

   • 2016, Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea, spoken by hockey coach (Tate Donovan):

     OK, you are out! You’re benched!

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.
   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     'Twas benched with turf.

   • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part 2”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:

     stately theatres benched crescent-wise

5. (transitive) To place on a bench or seat of honour.
   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     whom I […] have benched and reared to worship

From bench press by shortening.

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.

bench (plural benches)

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

   He became frustrated when his bench increased by only 10 pounds despite a month of training.

See bentsh.

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

1. Alternative spelling of bentsh