roost

[roost]

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.

verb (used without object)

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

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

roost

¹

/ 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

verb

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

2. (intr) to settle down or stay

3. to have unfavourable repercussions

Roost

²

/ ruːst /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• unroosted adjective
• unroosting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of roost¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of roost¹

Old English hrōst ; related to Old Saxon hrost loft, German Rost grid

Origin of roost²

C16: from Old Norse röst

Idioms and Phrases

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.

see chickens come home to roost; rule the roost.

Example Sentences

Plaid Cymru successfully presented itself as the vehicle for change from a deeply unpopular Labour UK government and a Welsh Labour party that's been ruling the roost since Tony Blair's landslide victory in 1997.

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Liverpool are still in pole position, but the issues that have troubled them finally came home to roost at Selhurst Park.

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But we saw that message tank just eight months ago, unfortunately, and all of those things are coming home now to roost.

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In southern Asia, old world fruit bats often roost in abandoned buildings.

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Chickens tend to come home to roost, though.

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