Illustration of perch
- 3perch 1a
perch
1 of 3noun (1)
ˈpərch 
1
: a bar or peg on which something is hung
2
a
: a roost for a bird
b
: a resting place or vantage point : seat
c
: a prominent position
his new perch as president
3
chiefly British : rod sense 2
perch
2 of 3verb
perched; perching; perches
intransitive verb
: to alight, settle, or rest on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot
transitive verb
: to place on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot
perch
3 of 3noun (2)
plural perch or perches
1
a
: a small European freshwater bony fish (Perca fluviatilis of the family Percidae, the perch family)
b
: yellow perch
2
: any of numerous bony fishes (as of the families Percidae, Centrarchidae, and Serranidae)
Synonyms
Verb
- alight
- land
- light
- roost
- settle
- touch down
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb pigeons perching on the roof perched the baby in a basket
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English perche, from Anglo-French, from Latin pertica pole
Noun (2)
Middle English perche, from Anglo-French, from Latin perca, from Greek perkē; akin to Old High German faro colored, Latin porcus, a spiny fish
First Known Use
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing perch
Kids Definition
perch 1 of 3
noun
ˈpərch
1
: a place where birds roost
2
: a raised seat or position
perch
2 of 3verb
perched; perching
: to sit or rest on a raised seat or position
perch
3 of 3noun
plural perch or perches
1
: a common yellow and greenish brown fish of North America that is sometimes caught for food or sport
2
: any of various fish related to or resembling the North American perch
perching
verb
1
as in landing
to come to rest after descending from the air pigeons perching on the roof Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- landing
- roosting
- alighting
- lighting
- settling
- touching down
- belly-landing
- crash-landing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- climbing
- rising
- ascending
- flying
- gliding
- arising
- taking off
- floating
- hovering
- hanging
- soaring
- blasting off
- winging
- planing
2
as in nestling
to establish or place comfortably or snugly perched the baby in a basket Synonyms & Similar Words
- nestling
- lodging
- roosting
- positioning
- parking
- settling
- planting
- installing
- ensconcing
- locating
- stationing
- situating
- anchoring
- housing
- deploying
- burrowing
- camping
- emplacing
- setting
- bivouacking
- fixing
- curling up
- digging in
- camping (out)
- harboring