bench

noun

1. 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.

   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. 2

   figurativeThe seat where the judges sit in court. The people who decide on the verdict, collectively; the judiciary.

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

3. 3

   figurativeThe seat where the judges sit in court. The office or dignity of a judge.

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

4. 4

   A seat where people sit together in an official capacity. A long seat for politicians in a parliamentary chamber.

   the government front bench

   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.

5. 5

   figurativeA seat where people sit together in an official capacity. The dignity of holding an official seat.

   the bench of bishops

   the civic bench

6. 6

   figurativeA seat where people sit together in an official capacity. The people who hold a certain type of official seat, collectively; a group of officeholders.

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

7. 7

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

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

   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.

8. 8

   figurativeThe place where players (substitutes) and coaches sit when not playing. The number of players on a team able to participate, often expressed in terms of length.

   Injuries have shortened the bench.

9. 9

   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.

10. 10

    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.

11. 11

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

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

12. 12

    A flat ledge in the slope of an earthwork, work of masonry, or similar.

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

13. 13

    A thin strip of relatively flat land bounded by steeper slopes above and below.

14. 14

    A kitchen surface on which to prepare food, a counter.

15. 15

    A bathroom surface which holds the washbasin, a vanity.

16. 16

    A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public, traditionally on benches or raised platforms.

verb

1. 1

   To remove a player from play.

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

   OK, you are out! You’re benched!

2. 2

   figurativeTo remove someone from a position of responsibility temporarily.

3. 3

   slangTo push a person backward against a conspirator behind them who is on their hands and knees, causing them to fall over.

4. 4

   To furnish with benches.

   'Twas benched with turf.

   stately theatres benched crescent-wise

5. 5

   To place on a bench or seat of honour.

   whom I […] have benched and reared to worship

verb

1. 1

   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.

noun

1. 1

   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.

verb

1. 1

   Variant of bentshAlternative spelling of bentsh.

Forms

plural

benches

past tense

benched

past participle

benched

present participle

benching

third person singular

benches