noun

grouse

grows

noun

A plump game bird found in moorland and northern regions, often hunted for sport and food.

"The 12th of August marks the start of grouse shooting season in Scotland."

A complaint.

"Her main grouse was the lack of parking."

verb

To complain or grumble, often persistently.

"He's always grousing about the weather."

"Staff grumbled and groused about the new shift pattern."

How to Use Grouse

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the moorland game bird, or informally, to complain about something.

When to use it

The "complain" sense is informal.

Common pairings

grouse about something a minor grouse

Word Forms

grouser comparative, groused past tense, groused past tense, grouse plural, grouses plural, grouses plural, grouses singular, grouses singular, grousest superlative

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The 12th of August marks the start of _____ shooting season in Scotland.

Etymology

First recorded in the 1530s for the bird; the origin is uncertain, possibly linked to French or Latin words for "crane" or simply imitating the bird's call. The complaining sense developed later from the noun.

Rhymes for grouse

use muse ruse fuse CuSe abuse mouse cause house louse pause amuse

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