perch

[ purch ]

/ pɜrtʃ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR perch ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a pole or rod, usually horizontal, serving as a roost for birds.

any place or object, as a sill, fence, branch, or twig, for a bird, animal, or person to alight or rest upon.

a high or elevated position, resting place, or the like.

a small, elevated seat for the driver of any of certain vehicles.

a pole connecting the fore and hind running parts of a spring carriage or other vehicle.

a post set up as a navigational aid on a navigational hazard or on a buoy.

British.

a linear or square rod.
a measure of volume for stone, about 24 cubic feet (0.7 cubic meters).

Textiles. an apparatus consisting of two vertical posts and a horizontal roller, used for inspecting cloth after it leaves the loom.

Obsolete. any pole, rod, or the like.

verb (used without object)

to alight or rest upon a perch.

to settle or rest in some elevated position, as if on a perch.

verb (used with object)

to set or place on or as if on a perch.

to inspect (cloth) for defects and blemishes after it has been taken from the loom and placed upon a perch.

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Origin of perch

1250–1300; Middle English perche<Old French <Latin pertica pole, staff, measuring rod

OTHER WORDS FROM perch

perch·a·ble, adjectiveun·perched, adjective

Words nearby perch

perceptive, perceptual, perceptual defence, perceptual mapping, Perceval, perch, perchance, Perche, percher, Percheron, perchery

Definition for perch (2 of 2)

perch²

[ purch ]

/ pɜrtʃ /

noun, plural (especially collectively) perch, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) perch·es.

any spiny-finned, freshwater food fish of the genus Perca, as P. flavescens(yellow perch ), of the U.S., or P. fluviatilis, of Europe.

any of various other related, spiny-finned fishes.

any of several embioticid fishes, as Hysterocarpus traski(tule perch ) of California.

Origin of perch

1350–1400; Middle English perche<Middle French <Latin perca<Greek pérkē

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for perch

One of America’s most prominent business journalists for his perch at the New York Times and CNBC’s Squawk Box, Sorkin says the essential workers who are getting the country through the crisis are a stark reminder of who we all rely on.
How CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin Would Close the Wealth Gap|Eromo Egbejule|August 26, 2020|Ozy
The salmon, perch, and taco salad are all excellent plus it is very LGBTQ friendly.
Saugatuck-Douglas is open and better than ever|Bill Malcolm|August 15, 2020|Washington Blade
I crossed the room with my rifle up, stood on top of the bed, and from my perch looked down at bin Laden.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Luckily for Goodell, he'll have plenty of money if he were to be forced off the commissioner's perch.
Roger Goodell’s TV Disaster Shows What’s Wrong With The NFL|Lloyd Grove|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Jack Welch, who took over General Electric in 1981, left his perch in 2001, not long after he turned 65.
Don’t Count Rupert Murdoch Out Yet: Why The Magnate Hasn’t Given Up on Time Warner|Daniel Gross|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Day after day, Lou sat on the Yankee bench, a perch that increasingly represented his security.
The Stacks: The Day Lou Gehrig Delivered Baseball’s Gettysburg Address|Ray Robinson|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Catcoin And so explains the birth of Catcoin, the latest creation hell-bent on knocking its canine counterpart off its perch.
Dogecoin, Coinye, & Catcoin: A Dummy’s Guide to Cryptocurrencies|Charlotte Lytton|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bream Mortimer looked as though he would rather have hopped on to a perch, but he sat down.
The Girl on the Boat|Pelham Grenville Wodehouse
Leslie "came off his perch" instantly and held out his hand repentantly.
Ross Grant Tenderfoot|John Garland
The hound sprang at the top of the wall, at the same time emitting a bark so loud it almost knocked Simon off his perch.
The Saracen: Land of the Infidel|Robert Shea
While they were watching the bird, it suddenly spread its great wings, left its perch and sailed away.
The Island of Yellow Sands|E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill
The macaws live well in captivity, either chained to a perch or kept in large aviaries in which their strong flight is noticeable.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for perch (1 of 2)

perch¹

/ (pɜːtʃ) /

noun

a pole, branch, or other resting place above ground on which a bird roosts or alights

a similar resting place for a person or thing

another name for rod (def. 7)

a solid measure for stone, usually taken as 198 inches by 18 inches by 12 inches

a pole joining the front and rear axles of a carriage

a frame on which cloth is placed for inspection

obsolete, or dialect a pole

verb

(usually foll by on) to alight, rest, or cause to rest on or as if on a perchthe bird perched on the branch; the cap was perched on his head

(tr) to inspect (cloth) on a perch

Derived forms of perch

percher, noun

Word Origin for perch

C13 perche stake, from Old French, from Latin pertica long staff

British Dictionary definitions for perch (2 of 2)

perch²

/ (pɜːtʃ) /

noun plural perch or perches

any freshwater spiny-finned teleost fish of the family Percidae, esp those of the genus Perca, such as P. fluviatilis of Europe and P. flavescens (yellow perch) of North America: valued as food and game fishes

any of various similar or related fishes

Other words from perch

Related adjective: percoid

Word Origin for perch

C13: from Old French perche, from Latin perca, from Greek perkē; compare Greek perkos spotted

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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