perched
Americanadjective
-
(of a bird) resting on a perch, such as a branch, telephone wire, or fence, or a rod specially designed for the purpose.
While hiking I caught sight of a perched owl near the trail.
-
settled or resting in a relatively high position, like a bird on a perch.
The tour will stop for lunch in a perched village offering a splendid view of the entire French Riviera coastline.
-
Geology. (of a boulder or block) left on the top of a hill, ridge, etc., by ice that melted after carrying it there.
As you continue hiking southeast, look out for the perched boulder overlooking a pond.
-
Geology.
-
(of a lake) having a surface level at an unusually high elevation, well above that of aquifers and other bodies of water in the area, because it has formed on a dense, hardened layer of sand mixed with organic matter that traps water on top of it.
Half of all the world’s known perched lakes are found on Australia’s Fraser Island.
-
(of an aquifer) occurring above the regional water table, having been formed by an accumulation of groundwater that cannot permeate the underlying layer of clay or other dense soil.
Perched aquifers are sometimes good water sources, but they tend to be relatively small and easily depleted with overpumping.
-
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perched
First recorded in 1815–25; perch 1 ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; perch 1 ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The property—which is registered to a trust in Harvey’s name—is described in its listing as a “European-inspired architectural masterpiece” that is perched atop “a private, elevated setting overlooking the Chattahoochee River.”
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Van Tassel was in the park photographing a group of long-eared owls perched in the trees above Tamarisk Grove on a recent weekday morning.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
The glass-paned office building perched above a ramen store in the heart of Manhattan's Chinatown looked inconspicuous on a busy block of Chinese restaurants, grocery stores and apartments.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
That feature made it easier to take measurements while perched on a ladder or working on a roof.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
The monkey sniffs the air and climbs down the tent that he’s perched upon.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
