perch

¹

[ purch ]

noun

1. a pole or rod, usually horizontal, serving as a roost for birds.
2. any place or object, as a sill, fence, branch, or twig, for a bird, animal, or person to alight or rest upon.
3. a high or elevated position, resting place, or the like.
4. a small, elevated seat for the driver of any of certain vehicles.
5. a pole connecting the fore and hind running parts of a spring carriage or other vehicle.
6. a post set up as a navigational aid on a navigational hazard or on a buoy.
7. British.
   1. a linear or square rod.
   2. a measure of volume for stone, about 24 cubic feet (0.7 cubic meters).
8. Textiles. an apparatus consisting of two vertical posts and a horizontal roller, used for inspecting cloth after it leaves the loom.
9. Obsolete. any pole, rod, or the like.

verb (used without object)

1. to alight or rest upon a perch.
2. to settle or rest in some elevated position, as if on a perch.

verb (used with object)

1. to set or place on or as if on a perch.
2. to inspect (cloth) for defects and blemishes after it has been taken from the loom and placed upon a perch.

perch

²

[ purch ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) perch, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) perch·es.

1. any spiny-finned, freshwater food fish of the genus Perca, as P. flavescens yellow perch, of the U.S., or P. fluviatilis, of Europe.
2. any of various other related, spiny-finned fishes.
3. any of several embioticid fishes, as Hysterocarpus traski tule perch of California.

perch

¹

/ pɜːtʃ /

noun

1. any freshwater spiny-finned teleost fish of the family Percidae, esp those of the genus Perca, such as P. fluviatilis of Europe and P. flavescens ( yellow perch ) of North America: valued as food and game fishes
2. any of various similar or related fishes

perch

²

/ pɜːtʃ /

noun

1. a pole, branch, or other resting place above ground on which a bird roosts or alights
2. a similar resting place for a person or thing
3. See rod
   another name for rod
4. a solid measure for stone, usually taken as 198 inches by 18 inches by 12 inches
5. a pole joining the front and rear axles of a carriage
6. a frame on which cloth is placed for inspection
7. obsolete.
   a pole

verb

1. usually foll by on to alight, rest, or cause to rest on or as if on a perch

   the cap was perched on his head

   the bird perched on the branch

2. tr to inspect (cloth) on a perch

Derived Forms

• ˈpercher, noun

Other Words From

• perch·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perch¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English perche, perdge, preche, from Old French, from Latin pertica “pole, staff, measuring rod”

Origin of perch²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English perche, from Middle French, from Latin perca, from Greek pérkē, feminine of adjective pérkos “having dark spots, spotted, speckled”

Word History and Origins

Origin of perch¹

C13: from Old French perche, from Latin perca, from Greek perkē; compare Greek perkos spotted

Origin of perch²

C13 perche stake, from Old French, from Latin pertica long staff

Example Sentences

As the water rises, it sweeps away anything that wasn’t able to get such a safe and sturdy perch.

From MIT Technology Review

Hong Kong has long occupied an enviable perch as a bridge between markets in China and the West.

From Fortune

From our human perch we marvel at what we think a plant’s life consists of—growing.

From Nautilus

One of America’s most prominent business journalists for his perch at the New York Times and CNBC’s Squawk Box, Sorkin says the essential workers who are getting the country through the crisis are a stark reminder of who we all rely on.

From Ozy

The salmon, perch, and taco salad are all excellent plus it is very LGBTQ friendly.

From Washington Blade

Often Mick would perch on those back stairs, perusing art books as he waited for her.

From The Daily Beast

I crossed the room with my rifle up, stood on top of the bed, and from my perch looked down at bin Laden.

From The Daily Beast

Luckily for Goodell, he'll have plenty of money if he were to be forced off the commissioner's perch.

From The Daily Beast

Jack Welch, who took over General Electric in 1981, left his perch in 2001, not long after he turned 65.

From The Daily Beast

Day after day, Lou sat on the Yankee bench, a perch that increasingly represented his security.

From The Daily Beast

Mr. Crow was rocking back and forth on his perch, for a joke—on anybody except himself—always delighted him.

From Project Gutenberg

I think the coulée right under his perch is an arm of the one we're in; runs in somewhere below.

From Project Gutenberg

Mebby I'll perch on top o' the court-house, too, fer a spell, an' take a leetle fly out by the Injun school.

From Project Gutenberg

Dorothy descended from her lofty perch on the stool, and met the red gleaming eyes of Pincher intently watching all her movements.

From Project Gutenberg

Isabel gratefully climbed to his high perch, after stating that she had no money, and being royally silenced.

From Project Gutenberg