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Added 8 October 2026

bench

/ˈbɛnt͡ʃ/ noun

In Latin: scamnum, subsellium Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bench at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A long seat for more than one person.
A level shelf of land interrupting a declivity (with steep slopes above and below).
Persons who administer justice.

verb

Take out of a game; of players.
Exhibit on a bench.
bench the poodles at the dog show

Origin

From Middle English bench, benk, bynk, from Old English benċ (“bench”), from Proto-West Germanic *banki, from Proto-Germanic *bankiz (“bench”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-. 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”). Doublet of banc, banco, and bank.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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