Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Perch
Perch
(pẽrch)
, Noun.
[F.
perche
, L. pertica
.] 1.
A pole; a long staff; a rod; esp., a pole or other support for fowls to roost on or to rest on; a roost; figuratively, any elevated resting place or seat.
As chauntecleer among his wives all
Sat on his
Sat on his
perche
, that was in his hall. Chaucer.
Not making his high place the lawless
Of winged ambitions.
perch
Of winged ambitions.
Tennyson.
2.
(a)
A measure of length containing five and a half yards; a rod, or pole.
(b)
In land or square measure: A square rod; the 160th part of an acre.
(c)
In solid measure: A mass 16½ feet long, 1 foot in height, and 1½ feet in breadth, or 243⁄4 cubic feet (in local use, from 22 to 25 cubic feet); – used in measuring stonework.
3.
A pole connecting the fore gear and hind gear of a spring carriage; a reach.
Perch
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Perched
(pẽrcht)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Perching
.] [F.
percher
. See Perch
a pole.] To alight or settle, as a bird; to sit or roost.
Wrens make prey where eagles dare not
perch
. Shakespeare
Perch
,Verb.
T.
1.
To place or to set on, or as on, a perch.
2.
To occupy as a perch.
Milton.
Webster 1828 Edition
Perch
PERCH
,Noun.
PERCH
,Noun.
1.
A pole; hence, a roost for fowls, which is often a pole; also, any thing on which they light.2.
A measure of length containing five yards and a half; a rod. In the popular language of America, rod is chiefly used; but rod,pole, and perch, all signifying the same thing, may be used indifferently.PERCH
,Verb.
I.
1.
To light or settle on a fixed body; as a bird.PERCH
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
Perch
perch
perch
See also: Perch
English
Noun
perch (plural perches or perch)
- Any of the three species of spiny-finned freshwater fish in the genus Perca.
- Any of the about 200 related species of fish in the taxonomic family Percidae.
- Several similar species in the order Perciformes, such as the grouper.
Hyponyms
- (fish in genus Perca): Balkhash perch, European perch, yellow perch
- (fish in family Percidae): darter, pike-perch, zander
- (fish in order Perciformes): bass
Derived terms
- black perch
- blue perch
- grey perch
- gray perch
- red perch
- red-bellied perch
- perch pest
- silver perch
- stone perch
- striped perch
- white perch
Translations
fish of the genus Perca
|
|
fish in the taxonomic family Percidae
fish in the taxonomic order Perciformes
Etymology 2
From French perche, from Latin pertica (“staff”, “long pole”, “measuring rod”).
Noun
perch (plural perches or perch)
- a rod, staff, or branch of a tree etc used as a roost by a bird
- Tennyson
- Not making his high place the lawless perch / Of winged ambitions.
- Tennyson
- A pole connecting the fore gear and hind gear of a spring carriage; a reach.
- a position that is secure and advantageous, especially one which is prominent or elevated
- (dated) a linear measure of 5½ yards, equal to a rod, a pole or ¼ chain; the related square measure
- a cubic measure of stonework equal to 16.6 × 1.5 × 1 feet
- (textiles) a frame used to examine cloth
Derived terms
Translations
rod used by bird
Verb
perch (third-person singular simple present perches, present participle perching, simple past and past participle perched)
- (intransitive) To rest on (or as if on) a perch; to roost.
- (intransitive) To stay in an elevated position.
- (transitive) To place something on (or as if on) a perch.
- 2012 September 7, Dominic Fifield, “England start World Cup campaign with five-goal romp against Moldova”, in The Guardian:
- The most obvious beneficiary of the visitors' superiority was Frank Lampard. By the end of the night he was perched 13th in the list of England's most prolific goalscorers, having leapfrogged Sir Geoff Hurst to score his 24th and 25th international goals. No other player has managed more than the Chelsea midfielder's 11 in World Cup qualification ties, with this a display to roll back the years.
-
- (transitive, intransitive, textiles) To inspect cloth using a perch.
Translations
to rest on a perch, to roost
to stay in an elevated position
to place something on a perch