bench

(redirected from benches)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia.

bench

(bĕnch)

1. A long seat, often without a back, for two or more persons.

2. Nautical A thwart in a boat.

3. Law

a. The seat for judges in a courtroom.

b. The office or position of a judge.

c. often Bench The judge or judges composing a court.

a. A seat occupied by a person in an official capacity.

b. The office of such a person.

5. A strong worktable, such as one used in carpentry or in a laboratory.

6. A platform on which animals, especially dogs, are exhibited.

7. Sports

a. The area, often equipped with benches, where the coaches and the players who are not actively participating in the game remain.

b. The reserve players on a team.

a. A level, narrow stretch of land interrupting a declivity.

b. A level elevation of land along a shore or coast, especially one marking a former shoreline.

tr.v. benched, bench·ing, bench·es

1. To furnish with benches.

2. To seat on a bench.

3. To show (dogs) in a bench show.

4. Sports To keep out of or remove from a game: benched the goalie for fighting.

5. Sports To bench-press.

[Middle English, from Old English benc.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bench

(bɛntʃ)

1. (Furniture) a long seat for more than one person, usually lacking a back or arms

2. a plain stout worktable

3. (Law) the bench (sometimes capital)

a. a judge or magistrate sitting in court in a judicial capacity

b. judges or magistrates collectively

4. sport the seat on which reserve players and officials sit during a game

5. (Physical Geography) geology a flat narrow platform of land, esp one marking a former shoreline

6. (Mining & Quarrying) a ledge in a mine or quarry from which work is carried out

7. (General Sporting Terms) (in a gymnasium) a low table, which may be inclined, used for various exercises

8. a platform on which dogs or other domestic animals are exhibited at shows

9. (Agriculture) NZ a hollow on a hillside formed by sheep

vb (tr)

10. to provide with benches

11. to exhibit (a dog, etc) at a show

12. (Civil Engineering) NZ to form (a track) up a hill by excavating a flattened area

13. sport US and Canadian to take or keep (a player) out of a game, often for disciplinary reasons

[Old English benc; related to Old Norse bekkr, Old High German bank, Danish, Swedish bänk; see bank³]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bench

(bɛntʃ)
n.

1. a long usu. hard seat for several people: a park bench.

2. a seat occupied by an official, esp. a judge.

3. such a seat regarded as a symbol of the office and dignity of the judiciary.

4. the office or dignity of various other officials, or the officials themselves.

a. the seat on which the players of a team sit during a game while not playing.

b. the players of a team who are usu. used only as substitutes.

6. a worktable, as of a carpenter; workbench.

7. a platform on which animals are placed for exhibition, esp. at a dog show.

8. a dog show.

9. a step or working elevation in a mine.

10. bench press.

v.t.

11. to remove from or keep from participating in a game.

12. to furnish with benches.

13. to seat on a bench.

14. to exhibit (a dog or other animal) at a show.

15. bench-press.

[before 1000; Middle English, Old English benc, c. Old Frisian benk, Old Saxon, Old High German bank, Old Norse bekkr < Germanic *bank-i-; see bank ¹]

bench′less, adj.

Bench

officials collectively; judges collectively. See also bank.

Examples: bench of aldermen; of bishops, 1742; of judges, 1592; of magistrates; of organ keys; of dogs [at a dog-show].

bank

– bench – seat

1. 'bank'

The bank of a river or lake is the ground at its edge.

There are new developments along both banks of the Thames.

She left her shoes on the bank and dived into the lake.

A bank is also a place where you can keep your money in an account.

You should ask your bank for a loan.

2. 'bench' and 'seat'

Don't call a long, narrow seat in a park or garden a 'bank'. You call it a bench or a seat.

Greg sat on the bench and waited.

She sat on a seat in the park and read her magazine.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

bench

Past participle: benched
Gerund: benching

Imperative
bench
bench

Present
I bench
you bench
he/she/it benches
we bench
you bench
they bench

Preterite
I benched
you benched
he/she/it benched
we benched
you benched
they benched

Present Continuous
I am benching
you are benching
he/she/it is benching
we are benching
you are benching
they are benching

Present Perfect
I have benched
you have benched
he/she/it has benched
we have benched
you have benched
they have benched

Past Continuous
I was benching
you were benching
he/she/it was benching
we were benching
you were benching
they were benching

Past Perfect
I had benched
you had benched
he/she/it had benched
we had benched
you had benched
they had benched

Future
I will bench
you will bench
he/she/it will bench
we will bench
you will bench
they will bench

Future Perfect
I will have benched
you will have benched
he/she/it will have benched
we will have benched
you will have benched
they will have benched

Future Continuous
I will be benching
you will be benching
he/she/it will be benching
we will be benching
you will be benching
they will be benching

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been benching
you have been benching
he/she/it has been benching
we have been benching
you have been benching
they have been benching

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been benching
you will have been benching
he/she/it will have been benching
we will have been benching
you will have been benching
they will have been benching

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been benching
you had been benching
he/she/it had been benching
we had been benching
you had been benching
they had been benching

Conditional
I would bench
you would bench
he/she/it would bench
we would bench
you would bench
they would bench

Past Conditional
I would have benched
you would have benched
he/she/it would have benched
we would have benched
you would have benched
they would have benched

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

bench

A judge or magistrate presiding in a court, or judges in general.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	bench - a long seat for more than one person banquette - an upholstered bench flat bench - a bench on which a weightlifter lies to do exercises park bench - a bench in a public park penalty box - (ice hockey) an enclosed bench to the side of an ice-hockey rink for players who are serving time penalties church bench, pew - long bench with backs; used in church by the congregation prie-dieu - low bench for kneeling on seat - furniture that is designed for sitting on; "there were not enough seats for all the guests" settee, settle - a long wooden bench with a back window seat - a bench or similar seat built into a window recess
	2.	bench - a level shelf of land interrupting a declivity (with steep slopes above and below) terrace plateau, tableland - a relatively flat highland
	3.	bench - persons who administer justice judiciary authorities, government, regime - the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit; "the government reduced taxes"; "the matter was referred to higher authorities" governance, governing body, organisation, administration, brass, establishment, organization - the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something; "he claims that the present administration is corrupt"; "the governance of an association is responsible to its members"; "he quickly became recognized as a member of the establishment"
	4.	bench - a strong worktable for a carpenter or mechanic work bench, workbench lab bench, laboratory bench - a workbench in a laboratory work table, worktable - a table designed for a particular task
	5.	Bench - the magistrate or judge or judges sitting in court in judicial capacity to compose the court collectively assembly - a group of persons who are gathered together for a common purpose court, judicature, tribunal - an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
	6.	bench - the reserve players on a team; "our team has a strong bench" subgroup - a distinct and often subordinate group within a group team, squad - a cooperative unit (especially in sports) second-stringer, substitute, reserve - an athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced
	7.	bench - (law) the seat for judges in a courtroom courtroom, court - a room in which a lawcourt sits; "television cameras were admitted in the courtroom" seat - furniture that is designed for sitting on; "there were not enough seats for all the guests" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
Verb	1.	bench - take out of a game; of players remove - remove from a position or an office
	2.	bench - exhibit on a bench; "bench the poodles at the dog show" display, exhibit, expose - to show, make visible or apparent; "The Metropolitan Museum is exhibiting Goya's works this month"; "Why don't you show your nice legs and wear shorter skirts?"; "National leaders will have to display the highest skills of statesmanship"

bench

noun

1. seat, stall, pew He sat down on a park bench.

2. worktable, stand, table, counter, slab, trestle table, workbench the laboratory bench

the bench court, judge, judges, magistrate, magistrates, tribunal, judiciary, courtroom It shows how seriously the bench viewed these offences.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

مَقْعَدٌ خَشَبيٌّ طَويلمِنْضَدَةُ الوَرْشَهنَضَد

lavicelavičkaponkpracovní stůl

bænkarbejdsbænkarbejdsbord

Bank Werkbank

μπαγκάκι πάγκος

benko

banco banco de carpintero banco de trabajo banquillo banca

penkki

banc établi

klupa

lócamunkaasztalmunkapadpadülőpad

bekkurvinnubekkur

panca panchina tribunale bancale banco

ベンチ

벤치

subsellium

darbastalissuolas

darbgaldssols

banknaar de zijlijn verwijzenopdrukkenwerkbank zitbank

benk dommerstanden høvelbenk krakk retten

ławka stół

banco

скамья лавка скамейка скамейка запасных верстак

lavičkaponk

delovna mizaklop

bänk

ม้านั่ง

bank kanepe sıra tezgâh

ghế dài

木工工作台长凳长椅子

bench

[bentʃ] N

1. (= seat, workbench) → banco m (Sport) → banquillo m; (= court) → tribunal m
the Bench (Jur) → la magistratura
to be on the bench (Jur) → ser juez, ser magistrado (Sport) → estar en el banquillo

2. benches (Brit) (Parl) on the Tory/Labour benches → en los escaños conservadores/laboristas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

bench

[ˈbɛntʃ] n

(= seat) → banc m

[workshop] → établi m

[laboratory] → plan m de travail

the Bench → la magistrature, la Cour
to serve on the Bench → exercer la fonction de juge

(in parliament) the government benches → les rangs du gouvernement
the opposition benches → les rangs de l'opposition

(SPORT) to be on the bench → être sur le banc de touchebenchmark [ˈbɛntʃmɑː^rk] n (= yardstick) → point m de référence
a benchmark for sth → un point de référence pour qch

bench

(= seat) → Bank f; laughter from the government benches (Brit) → Gelächter von der Regierungsbank

(Jur: = office of a judge) → Richteramt nt; (= judges generally) → Richter pl; (= court) → Gericht nt; member of the bench → Richter m; to be raised to the bench → zum Richter bestellt werden; to be on the bench (permanent office) → Richter sein; (when in court) → der Richter sein, auf dem Richterstuhl sitzen (geh)

(= workbench) → Werkbank f; (in lab) → Experimentiertisch m

(Sport: = selected as substitute) on the bench → auf der Reservebank

vt (US Sport) → auf die Strafbank schicken; (= keep as substitute) → auf die Reservebank setzen

bench

bench penalty

n (Ice hockey) → Bankstrafe f

bench press

n (Sport) → Bankdrücken nt

bench seat

n (in the car) → Sitzbank f

bench test

n (Tech) → Test m → auf dem Prüfstand, Prüfstandtest m

bench warmer

n (Sport inf) → Ersatzspieler(in) m(f) (der/die nur selten zum Einsatz kommt)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

bench

[bɛntʃ] n (seat, with back) → panchina; (without back) → panca; (in parliament, workbench) → banco
to be on the Bench (Law) → essere giudice

bench

(bentʃ) noun

1. a long (usually wooden) seat. a park bench.

2. a work-table for a carpenter etc. tools on the workbench.

bench

→ نَضَد lavice bænk Bank πάγκος banco penkki banc klupa panchina ベンチ 벤치 bank benk ławka banco скамья bänk ม้านั่ง bank ghế dài 长椅子

References in classic literature ?

When they did so they found the three lower rows of benches already occupied; but being anxious not to be too conspicuous, all, with the exception of Porthos, who had a fancy to display his red doublet, were quite satisfied with their places, the more so as chance had brought them to the centre of their row, so that they were exactly opposite the arm-chair prepared for the royal prisoner.

He recognized Mordaunt, who with bare sword was marshalling the musketeers behind the king and opposite the benches.

At these words there was a murmur along the benches, and a second voice, not that of a woman, but a man's, stout and furious, thundered behind D'Artagnan.

But with the rapidity of thought D'Artagnan seized Athos by the waist, and followed by Porthos with Aramis, leaped down from the benches, rushed into the passages, and flying down the staircase were lost in the crowd without, while the muskets within were pointed on some three thousand spectators, whose piteous cries and noisy alarm stopped the impulse already given to bloodshed.

The judges were looking for a new outbreak from the benches. The spectators saw the muskets leveled at them, and divided between fear and curiosity, remained noisy and excited.

View in context

Among the other forlorn wanderers in the Parks, there appeared latterly a trim little figure in black (with the face protected from notice behind a crape veil), which was beginning to be familiar, day after day, to nursemaids and children, and to rouse curiosity among harmless solitaries meditating on benches, and idle vagabonds strolling over the grass.

View in context

In front, on a level with the floor of the room, was a large table covered with green baize, and surrounded by benches; and at either of its ends were rows of seats, rising one over the other, for jury-boxes.

View in context

The place had simple, unpainted pine desks and benches for about two hundred persons.

An instant rush for some other lecture-room followed, and in a minute I was alone with the empty benches once more.

These dogs had a rather dry time of it; for they were tied to the benches and had no amusement for an hour or two at a time except what they could get out of pawing at the gnats, or trying to sleep and not succeeding.

View in context

The party was divided and disposed of on two contiguous benches: Anne was among those on the foremost, and Mr Elliot had manoeuvred so well, with the assistance of his friend Colonel Wallis, as to have a seat by her.

The others returned, the room filled again, benches were reclaimed and repossessed, and another hour of pleasure or of penance was to be sat out, another hour of music was to give delight or the gapes, as real or affected taste for it prevailed.