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)
Synonyms
Examples of perch in a Sentence
Verb
pigeons perching on the roof
perched the baby in a basket
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
The polar vortex, a whirlpool of Arctic air typically perched atop the North Pole, dislodged and descended into the Midwest causing the bitter cold.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2025
At least a half dozen marquee hosts at U.S. news organizations — from Fox News to CNN — have left their powerful perches at the anchor desk.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for perch 
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Verb
The Freedman House, built in 1949 for the writer turned mathematician Benedict Freedman and the feminist author Nancy Freedman, was perched on the Palisades Bluffs, above Will Rogers State Beach.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
The polar vortex, a whirlpool of Arctic air typically perched atop the North Pole, dislodged and descended into the Midwest causing the bitter cold.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
Noun
Later in his career, Lynch captivated his fans—and doubtless made some new ones—with a series of daily weather reports, delivered from his perch in the Hollywood Hills.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2025
At least a half dozen marquee hosts at U.S. news organizations — from Fox News to CNN — have left their powerful perches at the anchor desk.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for perch
Dictionary Entries Near perch
Cite this Entry
“Perch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perch. Accessed 8 Feb. 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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