to roost

Examples

• All

• At night, the owls roosted nearby and flew down, hooting, from tree to tree.

  Fiction book (1990)

• The thousands of pigeons that lived on Public Square roosted at night on the surrounding buildings.

  Academic text (2007)

• The birds in the shaft have all roosted on the top of the car.

  Fiction book (1992)

• The beach is empty and clean, and the vultures roost sleepily on their favorite trees.

  Academic text (1995)

• Also, they wanted to attract songbirds to their rafters, to roost and make nests.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Starlings fluttered and roosted on the power lines stretched like gray bars over the house.

  Fiction book (1990)

• Some fantailed pigeons had gotten loose from a cage and roosted on the school roof.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Hook-beaked, leather-winged carrion birds were always roosting and sailing above the trees.

  Fiction book (1993)

• As the sun began to set, the starlings gathered to roost in the tall trees.

• During the storm, many birds seek shelter and roost in nearby buildings.

Synonyms

P

to perch

vsto roost

67 4.4

To sit or put something on a high narrow place

is for longer resting or sleeping in one place

N

to nest

vsto roost

9 2.7

To settle comfortably in a warm or soft place

is used for staying to rest or sleep rather than creating comfort

P

to perch at

vsto roost

• Informal

1 6.4

To sit somewhere for a short time in a casual way

is for settling to rest or sleep more firmly

Idioms

C

to come home to roost

9 8.0

Bad actions or words cause trouble for the person who did them later

R

to rule the roost

• Informal

3 6.3

To be in control of a group and make important decisions

C

chickens come home to roost

• Informal

1 8.4

Bad things you did before cause problems now

Phrasal Verbs

R

to return to roost

4.8

Come back to the place where birds sleep after being away

How Settled

to settle

540 2.8

to nestle

15 3.6

to roost

16 4.2

to alight

2 4.1

Surface Forms

Etymology