bench
n. countablen. a long seat for two or more people, usually made of wood or stone. You often see them in parks or public places.
n. a long seat for multiple people, typically constructed from durable materials like wood, metal, or stone. Often used metonymically in legal contexts to refer to the judge or the court itself.
We sat on a park bench to eat our lunch.
The players who were not currently in the game sat on the bench and cheered for their teammates.
The judge requested that both attorneys approach the bench to discuss the admissibility of the new evidence before the jury returned to the courtroom.
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 bench press by shortening.
See bentsh.
In sports, it refers to the area where substitute players sit; in law, it refers to the seat of a judge.