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poacher

1 American  
[poh-cher] / ˈpoʊ tʃər /

noun

  1. a person who trespasses on private property, especially to catch fish or game illegally.

  2. Also called sea-poacher.  any of several slender, marine fishes of the family Agonidae, found chiefly in deeper waters of the North Pacific, having the body covered with bony plates.

poacher 2 American  
[poh-cher] / ˈpoʊ tʃər /

noun

  1. a pan having a tight-fitting lid and metal cups for steaming or poaching poach poaching eggs.

  2. any dish or pan used for poaching poach poaching food, especially a baking dish for poaching poach poaching fish.

poacher 1 British  
/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

  1. a person who illegally hunts game, fish, etc, on someone else's property

  2. someone whose occupation or behaviour is the opposite of what it previously was, such as a burglar who now advises on home security

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
poacher 2 British  
/ ˈpəʊtʃə /

noun

  1. a metal pan with individual cups for poaching eggs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of poacher1

First recorded in 1660–70; poach 2 + -er 1

Origin of poacher2

First recorded in 1860–65; poach 1 + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The U.K. government has advised against nearly all travel to the Central African Republic, and Brown said he was warned about rebel fighters, bandits, poachers, Russian mercenaries, dengue fever and the Ebola virus.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dozens of Wisconsinites volunteer each spring to keep watch against poachers as the sturgeon make their way upriver to spawn; thousands more come to watch.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lion DNA has been used to successfully prosecute poachers for the first time in the world, it has emerged.

From BBC

Kruger, one of Africa's biggest national parks, lost 175 rhinos to poachers in 2025, following 88 reported the previous year, the environment ministry said in a statement.

From Barron's

The France forward dragged his side level with a poacher's finish - then fired them in front with a quick-fire second before half-time, much to the delight of manager Arne Slot.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.