roost

noun \ ˈrüst \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of roost

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

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See roost defined for kids

Recent Examples of roost from the Web

An effective method of ousting bat colonies from attics, chimneys and eaves require entrances as small as a quarter to be sealed, preventing mature bats from squeezing into the roost after a nightly hunt for dinner.

— stephen hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Bats in your attic? Boot them out now before you can't when bat maternity season hits," 7 Apr. 2018
Lest anyone think the Gaineses rule the Waco food scene roost, Lee Bankston says their success has fueled hers.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "Taking I-35 south for spring break? Try these Waco dining spots, skip 'Fixer Upper' lines | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 8 Mar. 2018
Still, Sony rules the modern roost with its own blistering PlayStation 4 sales, which exceeded 73 million units sold worldwide by the end of last year—and which Sony believes sold close to 18 million units in 2017 alone.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Nintendo Switch has already outsold the entire Wii U run," 31 Jan. 2018
None of this changes the fact that the NFL still rules the roost of American sports.

— sally bronston, NBC News, "Concussions and Protests: Football’s popularity drops," 4 Feb. 2018
And now the Security Belt’s political arm, the Southern Transitional Council, is ruling the roost in Aden under a former governor, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, and his Emirati patrons.

— The Economist, "The centre cannot holdA rebellion in Aden is hastening the break-up of Yemen," 1 Feb. 2018
To be sure, the NFL still rules the roost of American sports.

— NBC News, "Meet the Press - February 4, 2018," 4 Feb. 2018
For now, however, online shopping still rules the roost.

— raymond zhong, New York Times, "Alibaba’s Online Growth Surges, Even as It Looks Offline," 1 Feb. 2018
The warden was able to walk to and observe the group of hunters shooting at a duck roost on a small island in the lake.

— community report, Houston Chronicle, "Game warden field notes," 30 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'roost.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of roost

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Birds Terms

aerie, bunting, clutch, covey, hackle, ratite, rictus, ruff, skein, zygodactyl

roost

verb

Definition of roost

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

See roost defined for English-language learners

Examples of roost in a Sentence

Pigeons roost on the building's ledge.
pigeons flying home to roost on the roof

Recent Examples of roost from the Web

The parrots screamed in outrage, then found their way back under the canopy and roosted contentedly in the dim branches, screeching their approval (parrots really only have one register).

— cory doctorow, The Atlantic, "The City of Coordinated Leisure," 28 Feb. 2018
In the evenings, observers will also be out to see where the birds are roosting for the night, so morning counters will be prepared for the launch.

— ernie cowan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chickadee is common sight in mountains," 15 Mar. 2018
The terns and pelicans have gone to roost, and the dolphins no longer crisscross the water by the hundreds.

— erik vance, Scientific American, "Goodbye, Vaquita: How Corruption and Poverty Doom Endangered Species," 22 Aug. 2017
In addition to the rodents in the fridge, pigeons roosted, died and decomposed in the shelter’s attic.

— amelia templeton, The Seattle Times, "Issues plague Portland’s largest shelter for homeless kids," 25 Feb. 2018
By mid-February, the owls in Wisconsin have typically settled into a territory and move only short distances to hunt and roost.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Record number of snowy owls sighted in Wisconsin this winter," 17 Feb. 2018
Democrats pointed to the CBO report on the debt limit as evidence that Republican deficit spending is already coming home to roost.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Here's one unhappy side effect of the Republican tax bill," 1 Feb. 2018
Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Meg Whitman lands a new gig, Cecile Richards is reportedly stepping down, and Larry Nassar’s chickens are coming home to roost.

— kristen bellstrom, Fortune, "Cecile Richards, Larry Nassar, Presidents Club: Broadsheet for Jan. 25," 25 Jan. 2018
The hunters were looking for roosting bats, mainly fruit bats and flying foxes—for them, a lucrative prize that can be shipped to villages in the north as part of the bushmeat trade.

— jim morrison, Smithsonian, "Can Virus Hunters Stop The Next Pandemic Before it Happens?," 25 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of roost

1530

roost Synonyms

ROOST Defined for English Language Learners

roost

noun

Definition of roost for English Language Learners

: a place where birds rest or sleep

roost

verb

Definition of roost for English Language Learners

of a bird : to rest or sleep somewhere

ROOST Defined for Kids

roost

noun \ ˈrüst \

Definition of roost for Students

: a place where birds rest or sleep

roost

verb

Definition of roost for Students

roosted; roosting

: to settle down for rest or sleep

Sparrows roost in the trees.

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See words that rhyme with roost Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for roost Spanish Central: Translation of roost Nglish: Translation of roost for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of roost for Arabic speakers

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roost

Definition of roost

Recent Examples of roost from the Web

Origin and Etymology of roost

Other Birds Terms

roost

Definition of roost

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Recent Examples of roost from the Web

First Known Use of roost

roost Synonyms

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ROOST Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of roost for English Language Learners

roost

Definition of roost for English Language Learners

ROOST Defined for Kids

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