roost

[ roost ]

noun

1. a perch upon which birds or fowls rest at night.
2. a large cage, house, or place for fowls or birds to roost in.
3. a place for sitting, resting, or lodging.

verb (used without object)

1. to sit or rest on a roost, perch, etc.
2. to settle or stay, especially for the night.

roost

¹

/ ruːst /

noun

1. a place, perch, branch, etc, where birds, esp domestic fowl, rest or sleep
2. a temporary place to rest or stay
3. rule the roost
   See rule

verb

1. intr to rest or sleep on a roost
2. intr to settle down or stay
3. come home to roost
   to have unfavourable repercussions

Roost

²

/ ruːst /

noun

1. the Roost
   a powerful current caused by conflicting tides around the Shetland and Orkney Islands

Other Words From

• un·roosted adjective
• un·roosting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of roost¹

before 1100; Middle English roost (noun), Old English hrōst; cognate with Middle Dutch roest

Word History and Origins

Origin of roost¹

Old English hrōst ; related to Old Saxon hrost loft, German Rost grid

Origin of roost²

C16: from Old Norse röst

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

2. rule the roost, to be in charge or control; dominate:

   It was only too apparent that his grandfather ruled the roost.

More idioms and phrases containing roost

see chickens come home to roost ; rule the roost .

Example Sentences

California wildlife officials last year confirmed the presence of the fungus in a bat roost in Humboldt County, which sits on the northern coast.

From Los Angeles Times

The commission rejected a similar bid for protections roughly 20 years ago, and since then the situation has become more dire for the bird — the only owl species to nest and roost in underground burrows.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s sort of like the chickens coming home to roost for the Supreme Court.

From Slate

In her wonderful memoir, “Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me from Success,” Lush’s Miki Berenyi notes, “The claim that Britpop celebrates sassy women in bands is a veneer,” and added, “The female-led Britpop bands sold a fraction of what the successful bloke bands did. Sure, the girls got a fair bit of attention, but it’s the blokes who ruled the roost.”

From Salon

But the same system has been in place for over a century, during most of which time boys were ruling the roost.

From Salon