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grouse

/ɡɹaʊs/ noun

Latin root: gruta Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about grouse at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  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.

verb

  1. Hunt grouse.
  2. Complain.
    What was he hollering about?

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)