grouse

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

grouse, n. sing. & pl. [Prob. after the analogy of mouse, mice, fr. the earlier grice, OF. griesche meor hen: cf. F. piegrièche shrike.].

 Any of the numerous species of gallinaceous birds of the family Tetraonidæ, and subfamily Tetraoninæ, 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.  [1913 Webster]
" 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 (Pediocætes 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."  [1913 Webster]

grouse, v. i. 

•  To seek or shoot grouse.  [1913 Webster]
•  To complain or grumble; as, employees grousing about their incompetent boss.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

grouse, 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.

grouse, v. & n. colloq.
--v.intr. grumble or complain pettily.
--n. a complaint.

Derivative

grouser n.

Etymology

19th c.: orig. unkn.

THESAURUS

grouse

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

ROGET THESAURUS

grouse

Animal

N animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.