bench

views updated Jun 11 2018

bench / bench/ • n. 1. a long seat for several people, typically made of wood or stone. 2. a long, sturdy work table used by a carpenter, mechanic, scientist, or other worker. 3. (the bench) the office of judge or magistrate: his appointment to the civil bench. ∎  a judge's seat in a court. ∎  judges or magistrates collectively: rulings from the bench. 4. (the bench) a seat on which sports coaches and players sit during a game when they are not playing. • v. [tr.] withdraw (a sports player) from play; substitute: the coach benched quarterback Randall Cunningham in favor of Jim McMahon. PHRASES: on the bench1. appointed as or in the capacity of a judge or magistrate: he retired after twenty-five years on the bench. 2. acting as one of the possible substitutes in a sports contest.

bench

views updated May 18 2018

bench. Pew. A bench-end is therefore the terminal timber facing of a church-pew, frequently decorated with poppy-heads, blind tracery, and the like. A bench-table or bench-table stone is a low projecting course of masonry, its lowest part chamfered, forming a seat against medieval walls in e.g. cloisters.

Bench

views updated Jun 27 2018

Bench the office of a judge or magistrate, from the bench as a judge's seat in a law court (recorded in this sense from Middle English); from this comes the expression raised to the Bench, meaning, elevated to the dignity of a judge. The term Bench and Bar is used for judges and barristers collectively.
bencher in the UK, a senior member of any of the Inns of Court, who form for each Inn a self-elective body, managing its affairs, and traditionally possessed the privilege of ‘calling to the bar’.

Bench

views updated May 21 2018

BENCH

A forum of justice comprised of the judge or judges of a court. The seat of the court occupied by the judges.

The bench is used to refer to a group of judges as a collective whole. It is a tribunal or place where justice is administered. To appear before the full bench means to appear before the entire group of judges of the court.

Bench

views updated May 17 2018

Bench

officials collectively; judges collectively. See also bank.

Examples: bench of aldermen; of bishops, 1742; of judges, 1592; of magistrates; of organ keys; of dogs [at a dog-show].

bench

views updated May 23 2018

bench OE. benċ = OS., Du., (O)HG. bank, ON. bekkr :- Gmc. *baŋkiz; cf. BANK1.

bench

views updated May 08 2018

bench
1. Horizontal step along which material is worked in an open pit.

2. Any narrow, flat surface in solid rock.