Etymology : Middle English, from Old English benc; akin to Old High German bank bench
Pronunciation : 'bench
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. long seat; pulpit of a judge; work table. furnish with benches; sit in judgment; exhibit dogs at an exhibition; remove from a game (Sports). bench\bench\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. benched ; p. pr. & vb. n. benching.].
2. to furnish with benches. 't was benched with turf. stately theaters benched crescentwise.
3. to place on a bench or seat of honor. whom i have benched and reared to worship.bench \bench\ , n.; pl. benches . [oe. bench, benk, as. benc; akin to sw. b?nk, dan b?nk, icel. bekkr, os., d., & g. bank. cf. bank, beach.].
4. a long seat, differing from a stool in its greater length. mossy benches supplied the place of chairs. w. scott.
5. a long table at which mechanics and other work; as, a carpenter's bench.
6. the seat where judges sit in court. to pluck down justice from your awful bench.
7. the persons who sit as judges; the court; as, the opinion of the full bench. see:
king's bench.
8. a collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public; -- so named because the animals are usually placed on benches or raised platforms.
9. a conformation like a bench; a long stretch of flat ground, or a kind of natural terrace, near a lake or river.bench mark (leveling), one of a number of marks along a line of survey, affixed to permanent objects, to show where leveling staffs were placed.bench of bishops, the whole body of english prelates assembled in council.bench plane, any plane used by carpenters and joiners for working a flat surface, as jack planes, long planes.bench show, an exhibition of dogs.bench table (arch.), a projecting course at the base of a building, or round a pillar, sufficient to form a seat.bench \bench\, v. i. to sit on a seat of justice. [r.]bench n.
10. a long seat for more than one person.
11. the reserve players on a team; "our team has a strong bench".
12. a level shelf of land interrupting a declivity (with steep slopes above and below) [syn: terrace].
13. persons who administer justice [syn: judiciary].
14. a strong worktable for a carpenter or mechanic [syn: workbench, work bench].
15. the magistrate or judge or judges sitting in court in judicial capacity to compose the court collectively [syn: bench] v 1: take out of a game; of players 2: exhibit on a bench; of animals such as dogs at showsbench deck of a tyrian ship, described by ezekiel (27:6) as overlaid with box-wood.
16. A long seat, differing from a stool in its greater length.
17. A long table at which mechanics and other work; as, a carpenter's bench.
18. The seat where judges sit in court.
19. The persons who sit as judges; the court; as, the opinion of the full bench.
20. See King's Bench.
21. A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public; so named because the animals are usually placed on benches or raised platforms.
22. A conformation like a bench; a long stretch of flat ground, or a kind of natural terrace, near a lake or river.
23. To furnish with benches.
24. To place on a bench or seat of honor.
25. To sit on a seat of justice. a long seat for more than one person the reserve players on a team; "our team has a strong bench" the magistrate or judge or judges sitting in court in judicial capacity to compose the court collectively exhibit on a bench; "bench the poodles at the dog show" take out of a game; of players.
26. 1. A bench is a long seat of wood or metal that two or more people can sit on. He sat down on a park bench.
27. A bench is a long, narrow table in a factory or laboratory. the laboratory bench.
28. In parliament, different groups sit on different benches. For example, the government sits on the government benches. the opposition benches. see also:
backbench, backbencher, backbenches, front bench.
29. In a court of law, the bench is the judge or magistrates. The chairman of the bench adjourned the case until October.
30. American baseball player considered among the greatest catchers in history. In 16 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (1967-1983), he was the National League's most valuable player twice (1970 and 1972). to not allow a sports player to play in a game, or to remove them from a game.