poacher

poacher — noun

1. a person who takes wild animals or fish without legal permission, often from pro

1.nounC1
Definition

a person who takes wild animals or fish without legal permission, often from protected land or water.

Example

Park rangers arrested a poacher with two dead deer in his truck.

catch/arrest a poacher

Villagers reported a poacher after hearing gunshots near the river at dawn.

Common collocations
  • catch a poacher
  • arrest a poacher
  • convicted poacher
  • armed poacher
  • poacher's traps
Synonyms
  • hunter

    broader and neutral; a hunter may follow the law

  • trapper

    focuses on catching animals with traps rather than guns or nets

  • angler

    used only for fishing, and often for legal fishing

Antonyms
  • ranger

    a person who protects wildlife or watches protected land

  • conservationist

    someone working to protect animals and nature

Grammar Patterns

a poacher

catch/arrest/fine a poacher

poacher + of + animals/fish

Usage Note

Often used with verbs like catch, arrest, fine, or jail. Distinguish from hunter: a hunter may act legally, but a poacher breaks wildlife or land-use rules.

Common Mistakes

The park caught a hunter with illegal traps.
The park caught a poacher with illegal traps.
use poacher when the hunting or fishing breaks the law.

2. in football, a player whose job is to stay near goal and finish loose balls or s

2.nounC2
Definition

in football, a player whose job is to stay near goal and finish loose balls or short passes.

Example

Fans call Diego a poacher because he scores from every loose ball.

football use: poacher near goal

The poacher tapped in after the goalkeeper dropped the cross.

Common collocations
  • natural poacher
  • penalty-box poacher
  • play as a poacher
  • deadly poacher
  • classic poacher
Synonyms
  • striker

    broader term for a forward whose main job is to score

  • finisher

    emphasizes skill at ending moves with a goal

  • goalhanger

    more critical and suggests waiting too close to goal

Grammar Patterns

a poacher

play as a poacher

poacher in the box

Usage Note

Common in football talk for a striker who stays close to goal and mainly finishes chances. Distinguish from striker: not every striker is a poacher, because many also build attacks away from the box.

Common Mistakes

Our poacher controlled the match from midfield.
Our playmaker controlled the match from midfield.
a poacher is mainly a finisher near goal, not the main organizer.

3. a pan or tray with small cups for gently cooking eggs over hot water, and someti

3.nounC2
Definition

a pan or tray with small cups for gently cooking eggs over hot water, and sometimes for poaching other food.

Example

Grandma bought an egg poacher with four round cups.

compound: egg poacher

The metal poacher sat over boiling water on the stove.

Common collocations
  • egg poacher
  • electric poacher
  • non-stick poacher
  • poacher cups
  • use a poacher
Synonyms
  • egg poacher

    the most direct name when the tool is mainly for eggs

  • poaching pan

    slightly more general and can include other food

  • egg cooker

    broader and may include electric machines

Grammar Patterns

an egg poacher

use a poacher

eggs in the poacher

Usage Note

Usually appears in compounds such as egg poacher. Speakers may also call it a poaching pan or an insert, especially when it sits inside another pot.

Common Mistakes

Put the eggs in the frying poacher.
Put the eggs in the egg poacher.
this noun names a pan for poaching, not a frying pan.
Idioms

poacher turned gamekeeper

idiom

A person who changes from opposing a system to working within it, often gaining authority.

Maya was a former hacker, now a poacher turned gamekeeper at the security firm.

After years of protesting, Diego became a poacher turned gamekeeper and joined the city council.

Word family

  • poach
    verbC1
  • poaching
    nounC1
  • poached
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, 'poacher' is the strongest word because it includes illegality: the person takes wild animals or fish when the law does not allow it. 'Hunter' is much broader and can describe legal sport or food hunting. 'Trapper' is narrower, because it points to catching animals with traps. 'Angler' is only about fishing and often sounds neutral or even pleasant, so it does not suggest crime by itself. 'Trespasser' overlaps when someone enters private land, but it says nothing about taking animals. A man with a licence can be a hunter or angler; a man setting illegal deer traps in a reserve is a poacher.

poacher ↗hunter ↗trapperanglertrespasser

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Poacher comes from poach, which entered English through Middle English from Old French pocher. The older French form was linked to poche, meaning 'bag' or 'pocket'. That history fits the oldest idea of secretly taking game and carrying it off. English later built newer uses from the same word, including the football sense and the name of a pan for poaching food.