bench

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
bench/bentʃ/

▶noun

• 1 a long seat for more than one person.

• 2 a long, sturdy work table in a workshop or laboratory.

• 3 (the bench) the office of judge or magistrate.

  ■ a judge or magistrate presiding over a particular case.

• 4 (the bench) a seat at the side of a sports field for coaches and players not taking part in a game.

• 5 a platform on which dogs are exhibited at shows.

▶verb

• 1 exhibit (a dog) at a show.

• 2 N. Amer. withdraw (a sports player) from play.

– origin OE benc, of Gmc origin; see word history at bank1.