roost
[ roost ]
/ rust /
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noun
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.
verb (used without object)
to sit or rest on a roost, perch, etc.
to settle or stay, especially for the night.
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Idioms about roost
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
before 1100; Middle English roost (noun), Old English hrōst; cognate with Middle Dutch roest
OTHER WORDS FROM roost
un·roost·ed, adjectiveun·roost·ing, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use roost in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for roost (1 of 2)
roost
/ (ruːst) /
noun
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)
verb
(intr) to rest or sleep on a roost
(intr) to settle down or stay
come home to roost to have unfavourable repercussions
Word Origin for roost
Old English hrōst; related to Old Saxon hrost loft, German Rost grid
British Dictionary definitions for roost (2 of 2)
Roost
/ (ruːst) /
noun
the Roost a powerful current caused by conflicting tides around the Shetland and Orkney Islands
Word Origin for Roost
C16: from Old Norse röst
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with roost
roost
see chickens come home to roost; rule the roost.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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