—n. - bar, branch, etc. Used by a bird to rest on.

- high place for a person or thing to rest on.

- hist. Measure of length, esp. For land, of 51/2 yards. —v. (usu. Foll. By on) settle or rest on or as on a perch etc. [latin pertica pole]

- n. (pl. Same or -es) edible european spiny-finned freshwater fish. [latin perca from greek]

n. Serious and immediate danger. perilous adj. Perilously adv. [latin peric(u)lum]

adj. (-ier, -iest) lively; cheerful. perkily adv. Perkiness n.

n. (pl. -ies) drink made from fermented pear juice. [french pere: related to *pear]

adj. (-ier, -iest) esp. Us colloq. Troublesome; annoying. [origin unknown]

n. Each of the parts of the corolla of a flower. petalled adj. [greek petalon leaf]

pan n. Person who remains youthful or is immature. [hero of j. M. Barrie's play (1904)]

- v. peter out diminish, come to an end. [origin unknown]

bourgeois n. (pl. Petits bourgeois pronunc. Same) member of the lower middle classes. [french]

- four n. (pl. Petits fours) very small fancy cake. [french, = small oven]

- mal n. Mild form of epilepsy. [french, = little sickness]

- point n. Embroidery on canvas using small stitches. [french, = little point]

dish n. Shallow covered dish used for the culture of bacteria etc. [petri, name of a bacteriologist]

adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 unimportant; trivial.

- small-minded.

- minor, inferior, on a small scale.

- law (of a crime) of lesser importance. pettily adv. Pettiness n. [french petit small]

- cash n. Money from or for small items of receipt or expenditure.

- officer n. Naval nco.