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• roost
  roost

  noun

  a perch upon which birds or fowls rest at night.
• Roost
  Roost

  noun

  a powerful current caused by conflicting tides around the Shetland and Orkney Islands

roost

American  

[roost] / rust /

noun

1. a perch upon which birds or fowls rest at night.

2. a large cage, house, or place for fowls or birds to roost in.

3. a place for sitting, resting, or lodging.

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verb (used without object)

1. to sit or rest on a roost, perch, etc.

2. to settle or stay, especially for the night.

idioms

1. rule the roost, to be in charge or control; dominate.

   It was only too apparent that his grandfather ruled the roost.

2. come home to roost, (of an action) to revert or react unfavorably to the doer; boomerang.

   an evil deed that came home to roost and ruined his life.

roost ¹ British  

/ ruːst /

noun

1. a place, perch, branch, etc, where birds, esp domestic fowl, rest or sleep

2. a temporary place to rest or stay

3. See rule

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verb

1. (intr) to rest or sleep on a roost

2. (intr) to settle down or stay

3. to have unfavourable repercussions

Roost ² British  

/ ruːst /

noun

1. a powerful current caused by conflicting tides around the Shetland and Orkney Islands

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roost More Idioms  

1. see chickens come home to roost; rule the roost.

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Other Word Forms

• unroosted
  adjective
• unroosting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of roost

before 1100; Middle English roost (noun), Old English hrōst; cognate with Middle Dutch roest

Explanation

A roost is a place where birds or bats can sleep or rest safely. Backyard chickens need a comfortable, secure roost to stay warm and rested. You can use roost to mean the perch that birds stand on while resting, the structure that contains the perch, or even a random tree branch, in the case of a wild bird. As a verb, it means to sit or to rest: "The chickens began to roost for the evening." When someone says, "Chickens come home to roost," they mean that bad actions eventually have bad consequences. And if you "rule the roost," you're in charge.

Example Sentences

“Jackie and Shadow were not in the Roost Tree this morning,” wrote Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2025

Just a few blocks from both the Ritz and Roost, The Marble Room is a steakhouse and raw bar housed in a stunning old bank.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2025

At Red Hen Roost, a 73-acre corn farm in New York that also sells through Handsome Brook, some hens are waiting at the barn doors first thing in the morning, owner Luke Nolt says.

From National Geographic • Feb. 16, 2024

The $89.95 Roost is my favorite laptop stand.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 28, 2023

Time enough to cross the sea, to see Griffin’s Roost again.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin