roost
- a perch upon which birds or fowls rest at night.
- a large cage, house, or place for fowls or birds to roost in.
- a place for sitting, resting, or lodging.
- to sit or rest on a roost, perch, etc.
- to settle or stay, especially for the night.
- 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.
- rule the roost, to be in charge or control; dominate: It was only too apparent that his grandfather ruled the roost.
Origin of roost
Examples from the Web for roosted
Historical Examples
Then, on being called, the bird settled and roosted on the ground beside him.
Birds in the CalendarFrederick G. Aflalo
These roosted in the trees at night and so escaped the plentiful foxes.
Face to Face with KaiserismJames W. Gerard
As they all roosted like chickens on the beams, there sounded a footstep just outside.
Everyday AdventuresSamuel Scoville
Parrots jabbered and a few of them roosted in the iguana tree.
When the Owl CriesPaul Bartlett
Then he flew to the highest perch he could find in the room, and roosted for the night.
The Children's Book of BirdsOlive Thorne Miller
roost
- a place, perch, branch, etc, where birds, esp domestic fowl, rest or sleep
- a temporary place to rest or stay
- rule the roost See rule (def. 20)
- (intr) to rest or sleep on a roost
- (intr) to settle down or stay
- come home to roost to have unfavourable repercussions
Word Origin
Roost
- the Roost a powerful current caused by conflicting tides around the Shetland and Orkney Islands
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for roosted
roost
n.
late Old English hrost "wooden framework of a roof, perch for domestic fowl," from Proto-Germanic *hro(d)-st- (cf. Old Saxon hrost "framework of a roof, attic," Middle Dutch, Flemish, Dutch roest "roost," Old Norse hrot, Gothic hrot "roof," of unknown origin. Exact relationship and ulterior connections unknown. Extended sense "hen-house" is from 1580s. To rule the roost is recorded from 1769.
roost
v.
1520s, from roost (n.). Related: Roosted; roosting. Chickens come home to roost in reference to eventual consequences of bad actions attested from 1824; the original proverb seems to have been curses, like chickens, come home to roost.
Idioms and Phrases with roosted
roost
see chickens come home to roost; rule the roost.