From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe benchthe benchSCT a) the seat where a judge or magistrate sits in a court of law Would the prisoner please approach the bench? b) SCTthe position of being a judge or magistrate in a court of law He was appointed to the bench last year.sit/serve on the bench (=work as a judge or magistrate) → bench
Examples from the Corpus
the bench• He was appointed to the bench in 1986.the benchthe benchDSthe seat where members of a sports team sit when they are not playing in the game Batts and Dorigo are on the bench tonight. Simpson came off the bench to play in midfield. → benchExamples from the Corpus
on the bench• Jamie Pollock will be on the bench with the striker who does not have a starting role.• We managed to win, even with Brian on the bench.• I sat down on the bench and leaned back against the wall.• The Derry reserve goalkeeper concedes that he has become something of a fixture on the bench but is uncomplaining.• A glowing young man has seated himself on the bench.• All eight justices on the bench for oral arguments had been picked up from their homes by court employees.• A boy of sixteen, Charles sat on the bench by the window.• She came to Oregon but was sure she would spend the next four years warming a spot on the bench.• Then he put his feet up on the bench and snored for ten minutes. 