bench noun

¹ long seat

ADJ. long | narrow | hard | padded | wooden | garden, park | replacements', subs', substitutes' (sport) They have several top players on the subs' bench.

VERB + BENCH sit (down) on

BENCH + NOUN seat

PREP. on a/the ~ He often sleeps on park benches.

² in Parliament

ADJ. government, Opposition | Conservative, Labour, etc. | back, front (Government ministers and the most important members of the Opposition sit on the front benches. Back-bench MPs have no official position besides that of MP.)

VERB + BENCH be on, sit on

PREP. from the … ~s There were cheers from the Labour benches. | on the … ~s Some MPs on the government back benches are starting to question the government's handling of the war.

³ long narrow table that people work at

ADJ. work (also workbench) | carpenter's, laboratory

PREP. at a/the ~ He was working at his bench.