Adjacent Words

grouse definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: flesh of any of various grouse of the family Tetraonidae; usually roasted; flesh too dry to broil
2: popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs and feet v
1: hunt grouse
2: complain; "What was he hollering about?" [syn: gripe, bitch, grouse, crab, beef, squawk, bellyache, holler]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural grouse or grouses) Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1531 any of various chiefly ground-dwelling birds (family Tetraonidae) that are usually of reddish-brown or other protective color and have feathered legs and that include many important game birds II. intransitive verb (groused; grousing) Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1887 complain, grumble • grouser noun III. noun Date: 1918 complaint

Britannica Concise

Any of various game birds in the family Tetraonidae (order Galliformes), incl. the prairie chicken and ptarmigan, or the sandgrouse (order Columbiformes). The best-known Old World species is the black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) of Wales, Scotland, Scandinavia, and N central Europe. The male, iridescent blue-black with white wing bars, may be 22 in. (55 cm) long and weigh about 4 lbs (almost 2 kg); the smaller female is mottled brown and barred with black. Grouse are noted for the male's communal courtship dances. The best-known N. Amer. species is the ruffed grouse.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. (pl. same) 1 any of various game-birds of the family Tetraonidae, with a plump body and feathered legs. 2 the flesh of a grouse used as food. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. uncert. 2. v. & n. colloq. --v.intr. grumble or complain pettily. --n. a complaint. Derivatives: grouser n. Etymology: 19th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grouse Grouse, n. sing. & pl. [Prob. after the analogy of mouse, mice, fr. the earlier grice, OF. griesche meor hen: cf. F. piegri[`e]che shrike.] (Zo["o]l.) Any of the numerous species of gallinaceous birds of the family Tetraonid[ae], and subfamily Tetraonin[ae], inhabiting Europe, Asia, and North America. They have plump bodies, strong, well-feathered legs, and usually mottled plumage. The group includes the ptarmigans (Lagopus), having feathered feet. Note: Among the European species are the red grouse (Lagopus Scoticus) and the hazel grouse (Bonasa betulina). See Capercaidzie, Ptarmigan, and Heath grouse. Among the most important American species are the ruffed grouse, or New England partridge (Bonasa umbellus); the sharp-tailed grouse (Pedioc[ae]tes phasianellus) of the West; the dusky blue, or pine grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) of the Rocky Mountains; the Canada grouse, or spruce partridge (D. Canadensis). See also Prairie hen, and Sage cock. The Old World sand grouse (Pterocles, etc.) belong to a very different family. See Pterocletes, and Sand grouse.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grouse Grouse, v. i. To seek or shoot grouse.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(grouses, grousing, groused) Note: The form 'grouse' is used as the plural for meaning 1. 1. A grouse is a wild bird with a round body. Grouse are often shot for sport and can be eaten. The party had been to the grouse moors that morning. N-COUNT: oft N n • Grouse is the flesh of this bird eaten as food. The menu included roast grouse. N-UNCOUNT 2. If you grouse, you complain. 'How come we never know what's going on?' he groused... When they groused about the parking regulations, they did it with good humor. VERB: V with quote, V about n, also V that, V 3. A grouse is a complaint. There have been grouses about the economy, interest rates and house prices. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Heath-game.

Moby Thesaurus

Cornish hen, air a grievance, beef, beefing, bellyache, bellyaching, bitch, bitching, broiler, caille, canard, caneton, capon, chapon, chicken, clamor, complain, complaining, complaint, crab, croak, destructive criticism, dindon, dissent, duck, duckling, faisan, faultfinding, fowl, fret, fret and fume, fryer, fuss, goose, grievance, gripe, griping, groan, groaning, grouch, grousing, growl, grumble, grumbling, grunt, guinea hen, holler, howl, kick, kicking, lodge a complaint, murmur, murmuring, mutter, oie, partridge, peeve, peevishness, pet peeve, petulance, pheasant, pigeon, pigeonneau, poulet, protest, quail, querulousness, raise a howl, register a complaint, roaster, scold, scolding, sniping, squab, squawk, squawking, stewing chicken, take on, turkey, volaille, whining, wild duck, yap, yapping, yelp