roost

1 of 2

noun

ˈrüst 

1

a

: a support on which birds rest

b

: a place where winged animals and especially birds customarily roost

2

: a group of birds roosting together

roost

2 of 2

verb

roosted; roosting; roosts

intransitive verb

1

: to settle down for rest or sleep : perch

2

: to settle oneself as if on a roost

transitive verb

: to supply a roost for or put to roost

Synonyms

Verb

• perch
• land

Examples of roost in a Sentence

Verb

Pigeons roost on the building's ledge.

pigeons flying home to roost on the roof

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When is peak monarch butterfly migration in Texas? Monarch butterflies begin their northward journey from their Mexican roosts during the second week of March, in search of milkweed plants to lay their eggs, according to Monarch Watch. —Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 25 Mar. 2025

The bats require forested lands to find food and roost in the warmer months. —Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 6 Feb. 2025

Verb

Those chickens have come home to roost, and not in ways that are to the president's advantage. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025

This was a conspiracy that Donald Trump, Pam Bondi and these MAGA extremists have been fanning the flames of for the last several years and now the chickens are coming home to roost. —Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 15 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hrōst; akin to Old Saxon hrōst attic

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing roost

• come home to roost
• rule the roost
• the/his chickens are (finally) coming home to roost

Rhymes for roost

• boost
• loosed
• sluiced
• adduced
• conduced
• deduced
• induced
• produced
• reduced
• seduced
• traduced
• transduced

Kids Definition

roost

1 of 2 noun

ˈrüst 

1

: a support on which birds rest

2

: a place where birds often roost

roost

2 of 2 verb

: to settle down for rest or sleep : perch