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Webster 1913 Edition

Bench

Bench

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Benches
.
[OE.
bench
,
benk
, AS.
benc
; akin to Sw.
bänk
, Dan
bænk
, Icel.
bekkr
, OS., D., & G.
bank
. Cf.
Bank
,
Beach
.]
1.
A long seat, differing from a stool in its greater length.
Mossy
benches
supplied the place of chairs.
Sir W. Scott.
2.
A long table at which mechanics and other work;
as, a carpenter’s
bench
.
3.
The seat where judges sit in court.
To pluck down justice from your awful
bench
.
Shakespeare
4.
The persons who sit as judges; the court;
as, the opinion of the full
bench
. See
King's Bench
.
5.
A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public; – so named because the animals are usually placed on benches or raised platforms.
6.
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. See
bench mark
in the vocabulary.
–
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

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Benched
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Benching
.]
1.
To furnish with benches.
'T was
benched
with turf.
Dryden.
Stately theaters
benched
crescentwise.
Tennyson.
2.
To place on a bench or seat of honor.
Whom I . . . have
benched
and reared to worship.
Shakespeare

Bench

,
Verb.
I.
To sit on a seat of justice.
[R.]
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition

Bench

BENCH

, n.
1.
A long seat,usually of board or plank, differing from a stool in its greater length.
2.
The seat where judges sit in court; the seat of justice. Hence,
3.
The persons who sit as judges; the court.
Free bench, in England, the estate in copy hold lands, which the wife, being espoused a virgin, has for her dower, after the decease of her husband. This is various in different manors, according to their respective customs.
King's Bench, in England, a court in which the king formerly sat in person, and which accompanied his household. The court consists of the Lord Chief Justice, and three other justices, who have jurisdiction over all matters of a criminal or public nature. It has a crown side and a plea side; the former determining criminal, the latter, civil causes.

BENCH

,
Verb.
T.
To furnish with benches.
1.
To seat on a bench.
2.
v.i. To sit on a seat of justice.

Definition 2024

bench

bench

English

A stone bench (long seat).

Alternative forms

Noun

bench ‎(plural benches)

  1. A long seat, for example, in the park.
    They sat on a park bench and tossed bread crumbs to the ducks and pigeons.
  2. (law) The people who decide on the verdict; the judiciary.
    They are awaiting a decision on the motion from the bench.
  3. (law, figuratively) The place where the judges sit.
    She sat on the bench for 30 years before she retired.
  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.
  5. (sports, figuratively) The number of players on a team able to participate, expressed in terms of length.
    Injuries have shortened the bench.
  6. 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.
  7. (weightlifting) A horizontal padded surface, usually with a weight rack, used for support 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.
  8. (surveying) A bracket used to mount land surveying equipment onto a stone or a wall.[1]
    After removing the bench, we can use the mark left on the wall as a reference point.
  9. A flat ledge in the slope of an earthwork, work of masonry, or similar.
  10. (geology) A thin strip of relatively flat land bounded by steeper slopes above and below.
  11. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand) A kitchen surface on which to prepare food, a counter.
  12. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand) A bathroom surface which holds the washbasin, a vanity.
  13. A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public, traditionally on benches or raised platforms.
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

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.
    They benched him for the rest of the game because they thought he was injured.
  2. (transitive, figuratively) To remove someone from a position of responsibility temporarily.
  3. (slang) To push the victim back on the person behind them who is on their hands and knees, causing them to fall over.
  4. (transitive) To furnish with benches.
    • Dryden
      'Twas benched with turf.
    • Tennyson
      stately theaters benched crescentwise
  5. (transitive) To place on a bench or seat of honour.
    • Shakespeare
      whom I […] have benched and reared to worship
Synonyms
Translations

Etymology 2

From bench press by shortening.

Verb

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.
Translations

Noun

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.
Translations

Etymology 3

See bentsh.

Verb

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

  1. Alternative spelling of bentsh

References

  1. ↑ Description of bench, as part of the benchmark etymology

Etymology

From Middle English bench, benk, bynk, from Old English benċ, benc ‎(“bench”), from Proto-Germanic *bankiz ‎(“bench”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- ‎(“to bend, curve, arch”). 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”). Related to bank.

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /bɛntʃ/
  • Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

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