perch
pronunciation
How to pronounce perch in British English:
UK [pɜːtʃ]
How to pronounce perch in American English:
US [pɜːrtʃ]
-
- Noun:
- support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)
- a linear measure of 16.5 feet
- a square rod of land
- an elevated place serving as a seat
- any of numerous fishes of America and Europe
- spiny-finned freshwater food and game fishes
- any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of various families of the order Perciformes
-
- Verb:
- sit, as on a branch
- to come to rest, settle
- cause to perch or sit
Word Origin
- perch (n.1)
- "where a bird rests," late 13c., originally only "a pole, rod, stick, stake," from Old French perche "unit of linear measurement" (5.5 yards), also "measuring rod, pole, bar" used to measure this length (13c.), from Latin pertica "pole, long staff, measuring rod," related to Oscan perek "pole," Umbrian perkaf "twigs, rods." Meaning "a bar fixed horizontally for a hawk or tame bird to rest on" is attested from late 14c.; this led to general sense of "any thing that any bird alights or rests on" (late 15c.). Figurative sense of "an elevated or secure position" is recorded from 1520s. The "land-measuring rod" sense also was in Middle English (c. 1200), hence surviving meaning "measure of land equal to a square lineal perch" (usually 160 to the acre), mid-15c.
- perch (n.2)
- "spiny-finned freshwater fish," c. 1300, from Old French perche, from Latin perca "perch," from Greek perke "a perch," from PIE root *perk- "speckled, spotted" (cognates: Sanskrit prsnih "speckled, variegated;" Greek perknos "dark-colored," perkazein "to become dark"), typically in names of animals.
- perch (v.)
- "to roost," late 14c., from Old French perchier "to sit on a perch" (of a bird), from perche (n.) (see perch (n.1)). Related: Perched; perching.
Example
- 1. The birds like to fly and perch on rooftops , but none have flown away .
- 2. The nile perch is nefarious yet applauded ( in the short run ) .
- 3. In the great hall there was a gold perch for the nightingale , beside the emperor 's throne .
- 4. Eg. he 'll perch on the edge of his seat to get closer .
- 5. Experts hope the drone , which can fly just by flapping its wings , compared with current models which rely on propellers , will eventually be able to swoop through open windows and perch on power lines .