perch
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A rod, staff, tree branch, ledge, etc., used as a roost by a bird.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
purchIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɝtʃ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A rod, staff, tree branch, ledge, etc., used as a roost by a bird.
Spiny-finned freshwater food and game fishes
Any of the three species of spiny-finned freshwater fish in the genus Perca.
figuratively
A position that is secure and advantageous, especially one which is prominent or elevated.
figuratively
A position that is overly elevated or haughty.
A pole connecting the fore gear and hind gear of a spring carriage; a reach.
verb
To come to rest, settle
Sit, as on a branch
“The birds perched high in the tree.”
intransitive
To sit upon the edge of something.
intransitive
To stay in an elevated position.
Cause to perch or sit
“She perched her hat on her head.”
intransitive
To rest on a perch (especially, of a bird); to roost.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A rod, staff, tree branch, ledge, etc., used as a roost by a bird.
Used this way, perch is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Sitverb
“The birds perched high in the tree.”
Causeverb
“She perched her hat on her head.”
More ways to use perch
- “The birds perched high in the tree.”verb
- “She perched her hat on her head.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A bird with feet adapted for perching (as on tree branches).
North Atlantic rockfish.
Any of several pike-like fishes of the perch family.
Pacific coast fish.
Small silvery drumfish often mistaken for white perch.
Small silvery food and game fish of eastern United States streams.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.