Standard Lemma guide

grouse

adj · noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ɡɹaʊs/
  • Australian: /ɡræɔs/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ɡræus/
  • rhymes with -aʊs
  • CMU ARPABET: G R AW1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Excellent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, slang

Examples

  • I had a grouse day.
  • That food was grouse.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ace, admirable, amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, badass, bang on, bang-up, studly, based, beatific, beneship, bitching, blissful, bomb, brilliant, bully, celestial, cher, choice, chronic, chur, cock on, commendable, cool, copacetic, crackerjack, cushty, dank, def, delightful, divine, dope, epic, excellent, exceptional, exemplary, exquisite, extraordinary, fab, fabulous, fantabulosa, fantastic, fierce, finger-lickin' good, fire, fireball, first-rate, fly, frabjous, glorious, gnarly, goated, great, grouse, heavenlike, heavenly, immaculate, impeccable, incredible, kick-ass, kicking, killer, lash, lautitious, lit, magnificent, marvelous, nang, outstanding, out of sight, phat, peak, peng, phenomenal, pog, poggers, priceless, pukka, quality, rad, radical, remarkable, rum, sensational, sick, slap-up, slick, spectacular, spiffing, splendid, spot on, stellar, sterling, stunning, super, superb, superior, sweet, swell, terrific, tight, top, top-drawer, top-hole, top-notch, top-of-the-range, top-shelf, topping, tubular, tuff, well-done, wicked, wicked pissah, wonderful, worldie

Antonyms: abysmal, atrocious, awful, bad, chronic, coarse, corny, crap, crapalicious, crappy, crummy, deityforsaken, dire, disagreeable, dismal, dogshit, dreadful, fifth-rate, foul, fourth-rate, godawful, hellish, hideous, hopeless, horrendous, horrid, horrible, horrific, inadequate, incompetent, inelegant, intolerable, inferior, lackluster, loathsome, lousy, miserable, naff, negative, odious, ordinary, pathetic, peak, piss-poor, rotten, rubbish, shitawful, shitty, sixth-rate, sloppy, subpar, terrible, unfavorable, wack

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae which inhabit temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere; specifically, the red grouse (Lagopus scotica) native to heather moorland on the British Isles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: moorbird, moorcock, moorfowl

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The flesh or meat of this bird eaten as food.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A cause for complaint; a grumble.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To hunt or shoot grouse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To complain or grumble.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs and feet

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: game bird

Narrower terms: black grouse, ptarmigan, capercaillie, capercailzie, horse of the wood, Tetrao urogallus, spruce grouse, Canachites canadensis, sage grouse, sage hen, Centrocercus urophasianus, ruffed grouse, partridge, Bonasa umbellus, sharp-tailed grouse, sprigtail, sprig tail, Pedioecetes phasianellus, prairie chicken, prairie grouse, prairie fowl

8

noun

Meaning 8

flesh of any of various grouse of the family Tetraonidae; usually roasted; flesh too dry to broil

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wildfowl

9

verb

Meaning 9

complain

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • What was he hollering about?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gripe, bitch, crab, beef, squawk, bellyache, holler

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetch

10

verb

Meaning 10

hunt grouse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fowl

History

Etymology

Uncertain; possibly from British dialectal groosh (“excellent, very good”) (Lothian (Scotland)), grosh (northeast Lancashire) and groshy (“having thriving vegetation; juicy and tender; of weather: good for vegetation, rainy”) (Lancashire, Yorkshire), grushie (“having thriving vegetation”) (Scotland); from Scots groosh (“excellent, very good”) (Lothian, obsolete), grush (obsolete), grushie, grushy (“growing healthily or lushly; excellent, very good”) (both archaic), from gross (“lacking refinement, coarse; fat; large”) + -ie (suffix meaning ‘rather, somewhat’).

Attested in the 1530s, as grows ("moorhen"), a plural used collectively. The origin of the noun is unknown; the following derivations have been suggested: * From Old French grue (“crane”) (modern French grue) or Medieval Latin gruta (“crane”), both from Latin grūs (“crane”). * Borrowed from Celtic or a different Medieval Latin word. * Imitative of the bird’s call. The verb is derived from the noun.

The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is possibly borrowed from Norman groucier, from Old French groucier, grousser (“to grumble, murmur”) [and other forms] (whence grutch (“to complain; to murmur”) and grouch). The further etymology is unknown, but it may be derived from Frankish *grōtijan (“to make cry, scold, rebuke”) or of onomatopoeic origin. The noun is derived from the verb.

Across languages

Translations

95 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: طَيْهُوج (ṭayhūj) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Armenian: մայրեհավ (mayrehav) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Bulgarian: глухар (gluhar) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Catalan: grèvol — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Chinese Mandarin: 岩雷鳥 /岩雷鸟 (yánléiniǎo) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Chinese Mandarin: 松雞 /松鸡 (sōngjī) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Cornish: grugyar — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Czech: tetřev — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Danish: skovhøne — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Danish: årfugl — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Dutch: auerhoen — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Erzya: пово (povo) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Esperanto: urogalo — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Estonian: teder — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Even: хиники (hiņiki) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Finnish: metsäkana — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • French: coq de bruyère — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Georgian: როჭოსებრნი (roč̣osebrni) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • German: Raufußhuhn — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Greek: αγριόγαλος (agriógalos) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Ancient Greek: τετράων (tetráōn) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Halkomelem: mí:t' — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Halkomelem: skwéth'kweth’ — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Halkomelem: miit' — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Halkomelem: stihwum — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Hungarian: fajd — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Irish: cearc fhraoigh — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Irish: coileach fraoigh — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Italian: gallo cedrone — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Italian: pernice — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Italian: urogallo — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Japanese: 雷鳥 (raichō) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Japanese: ライチョウ (raichō) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Komi-Permyak: тар (tar) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Kwak'wala: kwa̱kwa̱mł — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Latgalian: rubyns — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Latvian: rubenis — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Latvian: teteris — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Lithuanian: tetervinas — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Macedonian: тетреб (tetreb) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Nanai: пиму (pimu) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Nanai: поро (poro) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Navajo: dįʼ — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Nootka: huʔiik — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Norwegian: skogshøns — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Polish: pardwa — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Polish: cietrzew — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Polish: głuszec — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Portuguese: tetraz — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Portuguese: galo-silvestre — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Romanian: cocoș-de-munte — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Romanian: cocoș-sălbatic — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Russian: ря́бчик (rjábčik) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Russian: те́терев (téterev) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Saanich: ṈI ̧ED — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Saanich: SḰEȾ — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Scottish Gaelic: coileach-dubh — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Scottish Gaelic: liath-chearc — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Serbo-Croatian: тетреб — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Serbo-Croatian: тетријеб — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Serbo-Croatian: tetreb — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Serbo-Croatian: tetrijeb — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Slovak: tetrov — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Slovene: jereb — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Spanish: tetraónino — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Spanish: urogallo — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Swedish: skogshöns — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Udmurt: тур (tur) — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Unami: pëphòkwe — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Welsh: ceiliog y mynydd — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Welsh: iâr y mynydd — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Welsh: ceiliog y rhos — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Welsh: iâr y rhos — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Welsh: grugiar — any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae
  • Bulgarian: глухар (gluhar) — flesh or meat of this bird eaten as food
  • Esperanto: urogalaĵo — flesh or meat of this bird eaten as food
  • Bulgarian: мърморя (mǎrmorja) — to complain or grumble
  • Bulgarian: оплаквам се (oplakvam se) — to complain or grumble
  • Czech: žehrat — to complain or grumble
  • German: murren — to complain or grumble
  • German: grummeln — to complain or grumble
  • Greek: μουρμουρίζω (mourmourízo) — to complain or grumble
  • Greek: γκρινιάζω (gkriniázo) — to complain or grumble
  • Hungarian: dohog — to complain or grumble
  • Hungarian: dörmög — to complain or grumble
  • Hungarian: morog — to complain or grumble
  • Hungarian: zsémbel — to complain or grumble
  • Hungarian: zúgolódik — to complain or grumble
  • Hungarian: zsörtölődik — to complain or grumble
  • Italian: brontolare — to complain or grumble
  • Italian: lamentarsi — to complain or grumble
  • Serbo-Croatian: mrmljati — to complain or grumble
  • Serbo-Croatian: гу̀нђати — to complain or grumble
  • Serbo-Croatian: gunđati — to complain or grumble
  • Spanish: quejarse — to complain or grumble
Real reading context

grouse in complete knowledge articles