perch

CEFRB2

/pɜːtʃ/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A place where a bird rests or sits.

  2. 02

    verb

    To sit or place something on a high or narrow surface.

Examples

  • The birds use the scarecrow as a perch.

  • The sparrow landed on the perch of the bird feeder.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Any of the three species of spiny-finned freshwater fish in the genus Perca.

  2. Any of the about 200 related species of fish in the taxonomic family Percidae, especially:

  3. Distichodus engycephalus, Distichodus rostratus

More examples

In context

  • The macaw perched on Jim's shoulder.

  • Last year, Eighth Grade found poignancy and humor in its eponymous time period: that purgatorial perch between childhood and adulthood.

  • We know him now: […] / Not making his high place the lawless perch / Of wing'd ambitions, nor a vantage-ground / For pleasure; […]

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

A small sparrow may blank on a thin wire for a moment.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English perche, from Old French perche, from Latin perca, from Ancient Greek πέρκη (pérkē, “perch”), cognate with περκνός (perknós, “dark-spotted”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perḱ-, whence also Old English forn (“trout”), German Forelle (“trout”).