Meaning & use
grouse
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Meanings
nouncountable
A fat, ground-dwelling bird with feathered legs, often hunted on moors and heaths.
Grammar: The plural is also grouse (no -s): one grouse, two grouse.
Patterns
- a grouse
- shoot grouse
- a brace of grouse
We saw a grouse hiding in the heather.
The estate is famous for its grouse shooting in August.
A brace of grouse hung in the larder.
verbintransitiveinformalBritish
To complain repeatedly about something small or unimportant.
Grammar: No object; often followed by about: grouse about the weather.
Patterns
- grouse about something
- grouse that ...
He's always grousing about the price of petrol.
She groused that the hotel room was too cold.
Stop grousing and help me clear the table.
Word forms
| plural | grouse |
|---|---|
| third person singular | grouses |
| past tense | groused |
| past participle | groused |
| -ing form | grousing |
Common combinations
- grouse shooting
- Grouse shooting begins on the Glorious Twelfth.
- grouse moor
- The grouse moor stretches for miles across the hills.
- grouse about
- They grouse about the long working hours.
- a brace of grouse
- The chef prepared a brace of grouse for the dinner.
Synonyms and how they differ
- complain
- A general word for saying you are unhappy about something; grouse is more informal and often suggests repeated, minor grumbling.
- grumble
- Very close to grouse, but grumble can also be used transitively (grumble an answer) and often suggests a low, continuous sound.
- moan
- Similar but often stronger, suggesting a louder or more annoying complaint.
Word family
- grouser noun
- A person who grouses; a complainer.
Commonly confused: grouse or grouse?
grouse vs grouse
The bird and the verb are spelled the same but have different meanings; context makes it clear: 'We shot a grouse' (bird) vs 'He groused about the noise' (complained).
Practice
Which sentence uses 'grouse' correctly as a verb?
Choose one answer.
The verb 'grouse' means to complain; it is intransitive and often followed by 'about'. The other sentences use 'grouse' as a noun for the bird.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grouse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.