perch2 (perch)

[Formerly also pearch (dial. perk ); From reason back to faith, and straight from thence She rudely flutters to the perch of sense. Quarles, Emblems, v. 10. IMG:content-2666.png:[blocks in formation] If you do move me one perch from this, My pack and all shall gang with thee. Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood (Child's Ballads, V. 249). 4. A square measure equal to 301 square yards: 160 perches make an acre.-5. A unit of cubic measure used by stone-masons. It is usually 164 feet by 14 feet by 1 foot; but it varies is technically distinguished as P. american a or flavescens. See also cuts under fish and teleost. 2. A fish of one of various other genera or families. (a) Any surf-fish or member of the Embiotocide: more fully called viviparous perch. See surf - fish and alfiona. Pacific coast, U. S.]. (b) The cunner chogset, or nipper, Eng.] (c) An Australian fish, Lates colonorum. [New Ctenolabrus adspersus, more fully called blue - perch. on a shallow place or a rock, or used to mark a channel.-7. In vehicles: (a) A pole connecting the fore and hind gears of a spring-carriage; the reach or bar. See cut under barouche. (b) An elevated seat for the driver.-8. [ He, augmenting hys hooste, deter my ned to get the town of Wernoyle in perche & gyrde it round about with a strong seage. Hall, Hen. VI., an. 26. perch2 (perch), v. [ percher , perch; from the noun: see perch2 , n.] I. in- trans. 1. To alight or settle on a perch or ele- vated support, as a bird; use a perch; roost. Wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch . Shak., Rich. III., i. 3. 71. All that wear Feathers first or last Must one Day perch on Charon's Mast. Prior, Turtle and Sparrow. 2. To alight or sit in some elevated position, as if on a perch. II. trans. 1. To place, set, or fix on a perch or other elevated support. Perch yourself as a bird on the top of some high steeple. Dr. H. More. She looked up fondly at Pen perched on the book-ladder. Thackeray, Pen dennis. 2. To operate upon (“roughers,”or woolen cloth as taken from the looms) as follows: The cloth is stretched in a frame, and the percher carefully examines the whole texture for imperfections, which may consist of burs and knots, which he carefully removes, or of holes, which he nicely darns. This proce is also called burl ing , and is preparatory to the proce of fulling. perch a (per'chä), n. An abbreviation of gutta perch a . perchance (per-chans'), adv. [Early mod. E. also per chaunce; To sleep! perchance to dream. Shak . , Hamlet, iii. 1. 65. Creed and rite perchance may differ, yet our faith and hope be one. Whittier, Mary Garvin. 2t. By chance; accidentally. It is perchance that you yourself were saved. Shak., T. N., i. 2. 5. per chant (per'chant), n. [OF. per chant , ppr. of percher , perch: see perch2 , v.] In sporting, a bird tied by the feet on a perch to serve as a decoy for other birds. Wright . perch-backed (pėrch'bakt), a . Shaped like a perch's back: specifically applied in anthropol- ogy to certain flint implements. The lunate and perch - backed implements, having one side considerably more curved than the other. J. Evans , Anc. Stone Implements, xxiv. ( Encyc . Dict .) IMG:content-2667.png:[graphic] percher A