Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Bench has 15 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Verb · Proper Noun
a long seat for more than one person
"The students sat on the bench outside to study together."
a strong worktable for a carpenter or mechanic
"The old wooden bench had heavy aprons and large holes to hold chisels, making it perfect for his woodworking projects."
the magistrate or judge or judges sitting in court in judicial capacity to compose the court collectively
"The new bench heard the case with remarkable impartiality and speed."
(law) the seat for judges in a courtroom
"The judge rose from the bench to address the jury during their deliberations."
A long seat with or without a back, found for example in parks and schools.
"After months of intense training, he increased his bench from two hundred fifty pounds to three hundred pounds."
The weight one is able to bench press, especially the maximum weight capable of being pressed.
In plain English: A bench refers to the heaviest amount of weight someone can lift while lying on a specific exercise machine.
"He's been steadily increasing his bench every week."
Usage: Bench (noun) refers to the maximum weight lifted in a single repetition of the bench press exercise; it's often used informally when discussing strength training. Use it like this: "He's been working hard and his bench has increased by 20 pounds."
take out of a game; of players
"The coach decided to bench the star player due to his recent injury."
To remove a player from play.
"The old manuscript lists the term as a rare variant bench, but modern texts prefer the standard form bentsh."
To lift by bench pressing
Alternative spelling of bentsh
In plain English: Bench (verb: Alternative spelling of bentsh) Plain English Definition: To bench someone means to remove them from playing on a sports team.
"She decided to bench herself from the game after twisting her ankle."
Usage: This is an archaic term, primarily found in older legal or historical texts, meaning to formally examine or investigate someone or something-often a suspect or document. It's rarely used today and should generally be avoided in modern writing.
A surname.
"Professor Bench was invited to give the keynote speech at the conference."
The word bench comes from Old English benċ, which originally meant a seat or platform. It traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰeg-.