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

Verb

• alight
• land
• light
• roost
• settle
• touch down

Examples of perch in a Sentence

Verb

pigeons perching on the roof

perched the baby in a basket

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Picture a structure taller than Seattle’s Space Needle perched sideways in the clouds—a horizontal skyscraper: only in Dubai. —Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

And perched high above it all, at 444 East 52nd Street, is a penthouse that once served as a sanctuary for two of America’s most celebrated writers: Dorothy Parker and F. Scott Fitzgerald. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2025

Noun

There was a moment when such industry stalwarts as producer J.J. Abrams or management mogul and L.A. Olympics czar Casey Wasserman, both prolific Democratic bundlers, seemed poised to assume the perch vacated by Katzenberg, but neither has yet met the challenge. —Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025

Like new worlds where height flows in one direction only, as time does here on Earth, such that once traversed, that perch can’t be chirped upon again. —Laura Kolbe, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2025

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

• 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)"