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
Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
In the pulsating world of thriller fiction, pacing is the silent conductor, orchestrating a symphony of tension and release that keeps readers perched on the edge of their seats.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024
Many of those controversies will be covered from Vilanch’s backstage perch as the telecast’s top scribe.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perch 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Helping themselves to the complimentary snacks at the resort’s Tree Houses, which are private cabins built of aromatic red cedar, and perched 2,700-feet over the Dan River Gorge.
—Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
In the pulsating world of thriller fiction, pacing is the silent conductor, orchestrating a symphony of tension and release that keeps readers perched on the edge of their seats.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
His perch atop the famed startup accelerator Y Combinator gave him ready access to a stream of young and talented executives, eager for his guidance and money.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024
Many of those controversies will be covered from Vilanch’s backstage perch as the telecast’s top scribe.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Oct. 2024
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 26 Nov. 2024.
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)"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share