grouse

Everyday

1. A grouse is a plump, brown wild bird with feathered legs that lives on moors and in forests. tree →
2. (informal) To grouse means to complain or grumble, and a grouse is a complaint. tree →
3. (Australia, NZ, slang) Grouse means really good or excellent. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography lessons, red grouse live on heather moors in Scotland and northern England; in North America there are ruffed grouse and sage grouse. Grouse shooting is a sport in the UK, which some people oppose. In everyday talk, a person who grouses is always moaning. In Australia, «that's grouse!» means «that's great!» (a bit old-fashioned now).

Examples

• A grouse flew up from the heather. tree →
• Red grouse live on the moors of Scotland. tree →
• The male sage grouse puffs up its chest to show off. tree →
• Stop grousing about the rain and put your coat on. tree →
• My only grouse is that the film was too long. tree →
• (Australia) That pie was grouse, mate! tree →
• Grouse are hard to see because their feathers match the moor. tree →
• Thus spoke the grouse, who certainly had very pretty manners. tree →

Note

For the bird, the plural is usually also «grouse»: «three grouse». For the complaint, the plural is «grouses». The Australian slang «grouse» (good) is the opposite of the complaining sense, so listen to context.