Illustration of perch
- 3perch 1a
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
perched; perching; perches
: to alight, settle, or rest on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot
: to place on a perch, a height, or a precarious spot
plural perch or perches
1
a
: a small European freshwater bony fish (Perca fluviatilis of the family Percidae, the perch family)
b
2
: any of numerous bony fishes (as of the families Percidae, Centrarchidae, and Serranidae)
Examples of perch in a Sentence
Verb
pigeons perching on the roof
perched the baby in a basket
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Tourists and locals saddle up to any of the building’s multiple bars or perch on the massive deck, which boasts an idyllic view of the Gulf of Mexico.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025
According to Carscoops, early renderings reveal a low-slung front end, circular headlights, a modest front grille, and a compact cockpit, complemented by wing mirrors perched high on the A-pillars.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perch
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Noun
More than seven years after his death at age 61, Bourdain remains a cultural force, and a powerful draw for CNN, which poached him from his previous perch at the Travel Channel in 2012.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Tourists and locals saddle up to any of the building’s multiple bars or perch on the massive deck, which boasts an idyllic view of the Gulf of Mexico.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
In late June, the building is perched amid lush green trees that cover the mountain’s base.
—Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025
According to Carscoops, early renderings reveal a low-slung front end, circular headlights, a modest front grille, and a compact cockpit, complemented by wing mirrors perched high on the A-pillars.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perch
Cite this Entry
“Perch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perch. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
perch
1 of 3 noun1
: a roost for a bird
2
: a raised seat or position
perch
2 of 3 verb1
: 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)"
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