perch

1 of 3

noun (1)

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)
2
: any of numerous bony fishes (as of the families Percidae, Centrarchidae, and Serranidae)

Illustration of perch

Illustration of perch
  • 3perch 1a

Examples of perch in a Sentence

Verb pigeons perching on the roof perched the baby in a basket
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
This may help to explain why male marsupial moles lack a scrotum and have their testes perched in their abdominal wall. Charles Feigin / The Conversation, Popular Science, 23 Jan. 2025 That will allow residents living in the towering condos perched around the store, just a short stroll off Biscayne Boulevard, to collect their devices at a time that works best for them, O’Brien said. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
The biggest long-term challengers to ESPN’s supremacy and to the traditional networks’ top perch are Amazon and Netflix. Andrew Marchand, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025 From that perch, her team directly impacts the majority of revenues in the business. Stephen Diorio, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for perch 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of perch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near perch

Cite this Entry

“Perch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perch. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

perch

1 of 3 noun
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)"

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