roost

1 of 2

noun

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

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
The martins gather to form huge communal roosts at several sites in both Carolinas. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Big brown bats are not under a conservation status and roost in caves, mines and structures in the winter. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Collect dry needles and add to your roost bedding, or just leave tree/branches in the run as a new roosting spot that will also provide insulation and wind protection during the colder months. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024 By the end, a second round of voting determined that Royal Hen had to leave the roost, so Thicke got to put that Gloria Steinem guess to one final use. EW.com, 18 Oct. 2023 This is seen in bats as well (in addition to homosexual fellatio with other males in the roost). Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023 Today, pigeons have taken roost in the council’s domed entrance. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2023 See the Bats on the Congress Avenue Bridge Each night, spectators line the Congress Avenue Bridge to watch the world's largest urban bat colony—we're talking 1.5 million bats—fly out from a roost beneath the bridge. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2024 That said, there’s always been power to the Globes’ early January roost. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2023
Verb
The birds roost on the braided river’s sandbars at night, then take to the skies at sunup and head toward neighboring corn fields. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 Warning signs As with any financial crisis, there will be warning signs when the national debt comes home to roost—though for consumers and markets this realization may not happen in synchrony. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2024 Registered watchers will meet at the Lost Bridge East SRA parking lot near the boat launch to being the caravan that will travel to a few different areas with the eagles feed and roost. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Jan. 2024 Spring Courtship Display Any turkey hunter out to roost birds in the spring has probably heard a woodcock. Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 18 Oct. 2023 The vampire bat, for example, will fly into the trees at night when birds are roosting, then climb under their feet and flip a scale from one of their toes before feeding. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2023 One of Ellen DeGeneres’ chickens came home to roost — with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle! Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2024 A week ago, it was announced that Drink was suddenly and permanently closed, citing rising and unsustainable costs (the gentrification chickens, perhaps, coming home to roost). Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2024 Such is life in purgatory, where Jody Allen and her Vulcan Inc. brethren roost, presiding over the paradoxical inanity of two opposing truths: The Blazers must be sold. Bill Oram, oregonlive, 5 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roost.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of roost was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near roost

Cite this Entry

“Roost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roost. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

roost

1 of 2 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on roost

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