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.
In Clacton, an aging resort town perched on England’s east coast, he comfortably won the last election in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The recognizable UFW eagle is perched above him, its head chopped off and a tear in its eye.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Estevez, her husband, two daughters, mother and 97-year-old grandmother were left perched on the third floor, with no way out.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
She watched intently perched on a bench at the very front of the room, at times shrieking and nudging her sister as she pointed at the cafe’s new large flat-screen that loomed overhead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
A few seagulls are perched on the fence nearby, watching them with beady eyes, no doubt hoping for some crumbs.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
