Illustration of perch
- 3perch 1a
1
: a bar or peg on which something is hung
2
a
: a roost for a bird
b
: a resting place or vantage point : seat
c
: a prominent position
his new perch as president
3
chiefly British
: rod sense 2
perched; perching; perches
: to alight, settle, or rest on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot
: to place on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot
plural perch or perches
1
a
: a small European freshwater bony fish (Perca fluviatilis of the family Percidae, the perch family)
b
2
: any of numerous bony fishes (as of the families Percidae, Centrarchidae, and Serranidae)
Synonyms
Examples of perch in a Sentence
Verb
pigeons perching on the roof
perched the baby in a basket
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2023
On the market for $2.95 million, the hilltop pad is perched in the treetops next to the Guanacaste Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 2023
And while Anna Wintour gets Mario Testino to shoot hers, those of us perched awkwardly atop plastic swivel seats in busy pharmacies have to do much more than just sit still to get a worthy photo.
—Cassie Steer, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Nov. 2023
But first, lunch at the stunning Everett’s 8800 chalet-style restaurant, perched at the top of the mountain, with epic views through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2023
Two young Israeli soldiers perched on one of them, rifles pointing toward the distant plumes of smoke from airstrikes.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2023
Pruitt also perched a big wooden pallet on the bow that made his canoe look like an aircraft carrier.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2023
Warplanes that look like eagles searching for a tree branch to perch on,
catch breath, but these metal eagles
are catching souls in a blood/bone soup bowl.
—Mosab Abu Toha, The Atlantic, 9 Nov. 2023
Tori later shared a selfie with her two boys, with Josiah perched on her lap as Jackson sat beside them, smiling sweetly.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2023
The previous owners installed Capitan Dillon on his hillside perch during the early aughts.
—Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2023
With its red window awnings as iconic as red-bottomed Louboutins, the Plaza Athénée has long stood as a beacon of French splendor from its perch along the Avenue de Montaigne in Paris.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2023
That brings us to Maison Matho, an utter delight of a sandwich shop and coffee window in Hollywood that is doing something powerful from its small perch on Melrose near the 101 Freeway.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
From its perch nearly one million miles away, the Euclid Space Telescope has transmitted its first five dazzling images of the distant cosmos back to Earth.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
From his perch in the skies above Washington — hovering like a winged demigod — Dan Rosenson would occasionally fall into a philosophic mood.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
In the passenger seat sat a woman, her profile and short dark hair visible to Frances from her higher perch.
—Mary Costello, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Nine illuminated metal globes made from cutout hearts perch atop stone columns to honor each of the slain.
—Will Lanzoni, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2023
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Verb
That’s what Verina Astra offers, a 16-suite boutique hotel perched 650 feet above sea level on the edge of Poulati cliff.
—Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2023
On the market for $2.95 million, the hilltop pad is perched in the treetops next to the Guanacaste Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 2023
And while Anna Wintour gets Mario Testino to shoot hers, those of us perched awkwardly atop plastic swivel seats in busy pharmacies have to do much more than just sit still to get a worthy photo.
—Cassie Steer, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Nov. 2023
But first, lunch at the stunning Everett’s 8800 chalet-style restaurant, perched at the top of the mountain, with epic views through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2023
Two young Israeli soldiers perched on one of them, rifles pointing toward the distant plumes of smoke from airstrikes.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2023
Pruitt also perched a big wooden pallet on the bow that made his canoe look like an aircraft carrier.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2023
Warplanes that look like eagles searching for a tree branch to perch on,
catch breath, but these metal eagles
are catching souls in a blood/bone soup bowl.
—Mosab Abu Toha, The Atlantic, 9 Nov. 2023
Tori later shared a selfie with her two boys, with Josiah perched on her lap as Jackson sat beside them, smiling sweetly.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
Noun
His perch high-up in the Art Deco landmark is a far cry from the dark, street-level showrooms of London, where Fitzgerald began working as an unpaid tailor’s apprentice in his teenage years.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2023
The previous owners installed Capitan Dillon on his hillside perch during the early aughts.
—Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2023
With its red window awnings as iconic as red-bottomed Louboutins, the Plaza Athénée has long stood as a beacon of French splendor from its perch along the Avenue de Montaigne in Paris.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2023
That brings us to Maison Matho, an utter delight of a sandwich shop and coffee window in Hollywood that is doing something powerful from its small perch on Melrose near the 101 Freeway.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
From its perch nearly one million miles away, the Euclid Space Telescope has transmitted its first five dazzling images of the distant cosmos back to Earth.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
From his perch in the skies above Washington — hovering like a winged demigod — Dan Rosenson would occasionally fall into a philosophic mood.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
In the passenger seat sat a woman, her profile and short dark hair visible to Frances from her higher perch.
—Mary Costello, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Nine illuminated metal globes made from cutout hearts perch atop stone columns to honor each of the slain.
—Will Lanzoni, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English perche, from Anglo-French, from Latin pertica pole
Noun (2)
Middle English perche, from Anglo-French, from Latin perca, from Greek perkē; akin to Old High German faro colored, Latin porcus, a spiny fish
First Known Use
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of perch was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing perch
Dictionary Entries Near perch
Cite this Entry
“Perch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perch. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
perch
1 of 3 noun1
: a roost for a bird
2
: a raised seat or position
perch
2 of 3 verb1
: to place on a perch
2
: to land, settle, or rest on or as if on a perch
perch
3 of 3 noun
plural perch or perches
1
: a common North American freshwater fish that is yellowish with dark green vertical stripes and is a popular food and sport fish
called also yellow perch
2
: any of various fishes related to or resembling the perch
Etymology
Noun
Middle English perche "a peg on which something is hung," from early French perche (same meaning), from Latin pertica "pole"
Noun
Middle English perche "a kind of fish," from early French perche (same meaning), from Latin perca (same meaning), from Greek perkē "perch (fish)"
More from Merriam-Webster on perch
Nglish: Translation of perch for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of perch for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about perch
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