roost

[roost]

noun

1. a perch upon which birds or fowls rest at night.

2. a large cage, house, or place for fowls or birds to roost in.

3. a place for sitting, resting, or lodging.

verb (used without object)

1. to sit or rest on a roost, perch, etc.

2. to settle or stay, especially for the night.

roost

¹

/ ruːst /

noun

1. a place, perch, branch, etc, where birds, esp domestic fowl, rest or sleep

2. a temporary place to rest or stay

3. See rule

verb

1. (intr) to rest or sleep on a roost

2. (intr) to settle down or stay

3. to have unfavourable repercussions

Roost

²

/ ruːst /

noun

1. a powerful current caused by conflicting tides around the Shetland and Orkney Islands

Other Word Forms

• unroosted adjective
• unroosting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of roost¹

before 1100; Middle English roost (noun), Old English hrōst; cognate with Middle Dutch roest

Word History and Origins

Origin of roost¹

Old English hrōst ; related to Old Saxon hrost loft, German Rost grid

Origin of roost²

C16: from Old Norse röst

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. rule the roost, to be in charge or control; dominate.

   It was only too apparent that his grandfather ruled the roost.

2. come home to roost, (of an action) to revert or react unfavorably to the doer; boomerang.

   an evil deed that came home to roost and ruined his life.

see chickens come home to roost; rule the roost.

Example Sentences

In southern Asia, old world fruit bats often roost in abandoned buildings.

From BBC

Chickens tend to come home to roost, though.

From BBC

“This is a very big chicken coming home to roost.”

From Salon

He said the council "allowed developers to rule the roost" and that developers often build large buildings, with too few truly affordable homes.

From BBC

A woman has been forced to sleep in her car after discovering hundreds of bats roosting in her home - and being told there is nothing she can do to remove them.

From BBC