BENCH

[noun] [C] - a long, usually hard, seat for two or more people, often found in public places, or a long table for working ona park bench (= a seat for people to rest on in a public garden)a work bench (= a table for working at)See picture: Chairs(ANZ) A bench (top) is a worktop.In the British parliament, a bench is one of the seats used by the members.There was jeering from both the Labour and Conservative benches.In sport, the bench is a seat or area of seats where players sit during a game when they are not playing.He was dropped from the team, and spent the last few weeks of the season on the bench.In a court of law, the bench refers to the judge or judges, or to the place where they sit.Kindly address your remarks to the bench, Mr Smith.To serve/sit/be on the bench is to work as a judge or magistrate.(US) To take the bench is to become a judge or magistrate.(US) If a judge takes the bench they begin a formal meeting of a law court.