perch

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

perch

2 of 3

verb

perched; perching; perches

intransitive verb

: to alight, settle, or rest on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot

transitive verb

: to place on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot

perch

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural perch or perches
1
a
: a small European freshwater bony fish (Perca fluviatilis of the family Percidae, the perch family)
2
: any of numerous bony fishes (as of the families Percidae, Centrarchidae, and Serranidae)

Illustration of perch

Illustration of perch
  • 3perch 1a

Examples of perch in a Sentence

Verb pigeons perching on the roof perched the baby in a basket
Recent Examples on the Web
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

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.

Kids Definition

perch

1 of 3 noun
1
: a roost for a bird
2
: a raised seat or position

perch

2 of 3 verb
1
: 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)"

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