PERCH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does perch mean? 

• PERCH (noun)
  The noun PERCH has 7 senses:

1. support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)

2. a linear measure of 16.5 feet

3. a square rod of land

4. an elevated place serving as a seat

5. any of numerous fishes of America and Europe

6. spiny-finned freshwater food and game fishes

7. any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of various families of the order Perciformes

  Familiarity information: PERCH used as a noun is common.

• PERCH (verb)
  The verb PERCH has 3 senses:

1. sit, as on a branch

2. to come to rest, settle

3. cause to perch or sit

  Familiarity information: PERCH used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PERCH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("perch" is a kind of...):

support (any device that bears the weight of another thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "perch"):

roost (a perch on which domestic fowl rest or sleep)

Holonyms ("perch" is a part of...):

roost (a shelter with perches for fowl or other birds)

Derivation:

perch (sit, as on a branch)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A linear measure of 16.5 feet

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

perch; pole; rod

Hypernyms ("perch" is a kind of...):

linear measure; linear unit (a unit of measurement of length)

Meronyms (parts of "perch"):

pace; yard (a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride)

Domain region:

Britain; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Holonyms ("perch" is a part of...):

furlong (a unit of length equal to 220 yards)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A square rod of land

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

perch; pole; rod

Hypernyms ("perch" is a kind of...):

area unit; square measure (a system of units used to measure areas)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An elevated place serving as a seat

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("perch" is a kind of...):

place; seat (a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Any of numerous fishes of America and Europe

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("perch" is a kind of...):

freshwater fish (flesh of fish from fresh water used as food)

Holonyms ("perch" is a part of...):

Perca flavescens; yellow perch (North American perch)

European perch; Perca fluviatilis (a perch native to Europe)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Spiny-finned freshwater food and game fishes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("perch" is a kind of...):

percoid; percoid fish; percoidean (any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of the order Perciformes)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "perch"):

Perca flavescens; yellow perch (North American perch)

European perch; Perca fluviatilis (a perch native to Europe)

pike-perch; pike perch (any of several pike-like fishes of the perch family)

Percina tanasi; snail darter (a small snail-eating perch of the Tennessee River)

Holonyms ("perch" is a member of...):

family Percidae; Percidae (active freshwater fishes; true perches and pike perches)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of various families of the order Perciformes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("perch" is a kind of...):

percoid; percoid fish; percoidean (any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of the order Perciformes)

Holonyms ("perch" is a member of...):

order Perciformes; order Percomorphi; Perciformes; Percomorphi (one of the largest natural groups of fishes of both marine and fresh water: true perches; basses; tuna)

• PERCH (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they perch    ... he / she / it perches   
Past simple: perched   
Past participle: perched   
-ing form: perching   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sit, as on a branch

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

perch; rest; roost

Context example:

The birds perched high in the tree

Hypernyms (to "perch" is one way to...):

sit; sit down (be seated)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

Some big birds perch in the tree
There perch some big birds in the tree

Derivation:

perch (support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird))

percher (a bird with feet adapted for perching (as on tree branches); this order is now generally abandoned by taxonomists)

percher (a person situated on a perch)

Sense 2

Meaning:

To come to rest, settle

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

alight; light; perch

Context example:

Misfortune lighted upon him

Hypernyms (to "perch" is one way to...):

land; set down (reach or come to rest)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to perch or sit

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

She perched her hat on her head

Hypernyms (to "perch" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They perch their rifles on the cabinet

 Context examples 

But the driver had already climbed back into his perch, laughing as loudly as any of his companions.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Ought they to smoke like that?" asked Beth from her perch on the bed.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Then they all looked at the river and saw the Scarecrow perched upon his pole in the middle of the water, looking very lonely and sad.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

He uprighted the cub and perched him on the bed.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Negore thought of the little birds he had seen perched among the rocks and upon the bushes, and smiled, it was so simple; but he shrugged his shoulders and made no answer.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Very well, answered the sparrow, do so, and in the meantime I will perch upon that bush.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

It was on that, said Professor Challenger, pointing to this tree, that the pterodactyl was perched.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Why do you remain pertinaciously perched on my knee, when I have given you notice to quit?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The new island is perched on the north rim of a caldera on top of an underwater volcano that stands nearly 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) above the surrounding the sea floor.

(NASA Shows New Tongan Island Made of Tuff Stuff, Likely to Persist Years, NASA)

I was just balancing whether I should run for it, or whether I should perch behind her landau when a cab came through the street.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)