perch

1 of 3

noun (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 3

verb

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 3

noun (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)

Illustration of perch

• ³perch 1a

Synonyms of perch

Verb

• land
• roost

Examples of perch in a Sentence

Verb

pigeons perching on the roof

perched the baby in a basket

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Then Buttered Popcorn dethroned it in 1998, bumping the cherry classic from its perch. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026

The last ghoulish gargoyle has been returned to its perch as part of a two-year restoration of a Kentucky cathedral with a facade modeled after Notre Dame in Paris. —Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Verb

The venue, perched atop Edge — the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere at 1,131 feet — transforms the observation deck into a high-energy nightlife destination each summer. —Abigail Park, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2026

As soon as Wednesday, a four-person crew could launch on a mission to fly around the moon in an Orion capsule that's currently perched at the top of a 322-foot, orange-and-white rocket waiting at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. —Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026

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 intransitive sense

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing perch

• Nile perch
• ocean perch
• perch oneself
• pike perch
• silver perch
• speckled perch
• trout-perch
• white perch
• yellow perch

Rhymes for perch

• birch
• lurch
• search
• interchurch
• recherche
• research

Kids Definition

perch

1 of 3 noun

ˈpərch 

1

: a roost for a bird

2

: a raised seat or position

perch

2 of 3 verb

1

: to place on a perch

2

: to land, settle, or rest on or as if on a perch

perch

3 of 3 noun

plural perch or perches

1

: a common North American freshwater fish that is yellowish with dark green vertical stripes and is a popular food and sport fish

called also yellow perch

2

: any of various fishes related to or resembling the perch

Etymology

Noun

Middle English perche "a peg on which something is hung," from early French perche (same meaning), from Latin pertica "pole"

Noun

Middle English perche "a kind of fish," from early French perche (same meaning), from Latin perca (same meaning), from Greek perkē "perch (fish)"