perched

[purcht]

adjective

1. (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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Geology.

   1. (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.

   2. (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

1. the simple past tense and past participle of perch.

Other Word Forms

• unperched adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perched¹

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

The sun is perched on the horizon, the sky is pink and blue, there are trees and plants.

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Rashford turned away to accept the acclaim of Barcelona's fans perched high in the Leazes End, the previous taunts of Newcastle's supporters silenced.

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Lachlan Murdoch is perched atop the publishing firm that includes the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, the Times of London, HarperCollins publishing house and newspapers in his family’s native Australia.

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The high-security complex, perched on the northern edge of Tehran, has held thousands of political prisoners over the past half-century.

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The worst thing you can do is stay locked in one position for hours whether that's being perched at a desk, lounging on the sofa or scrolling on your phone.

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Related Words

• alight 
• squat 
• touch down