Grouse
/ɡraʊs/
nounverbB2
Definition
As a noun, "grouse" is a medium-sized bird that lives mostly on the ground in forests or fields. People sometimes hunt grouse for food or sport. As a verb, "to grouse" means to complain or grumble about something, often in a way that is a little annoying or repeated.
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See It in Action
Noun: A type of bird
- •The hunter spotted a grouse in the forest.
- •Grouse have feathers that help them hide among the trees.
- •We cooked grouse for dinner last night.
Verb: To complain or grumble
- •She always grouses about the weather.
- •They groused over the slow service at the restaurant.
- •Stop grousing and try to fix the problem.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "grouse" as a bird like "chicken" or "duck" (A1 words) but wild and living in forests.
- ✓Picture a brown bird walking quietly on the forest floor, blending with leaves.
- ✓When used as a verb, imagine someone quietly complaining all the time, like a small, constant noise.
- ✓Sounds like "grouse" → imagine someone saying "growl" softly like a small complaint or grumble.
- ✓In stories, grouse the bird is often part of hunting scenes, while grousing is like a character always unhappy or annoyed.
- ✓NOT like "rooster" (loud bird that crows), grouse is quiet and shy.
- ✓NOT like "shout" (loud noise), grousing is quiet complaining.
- ✓NOT like "complain" (general), grouse often means small or repeated complaints, sometimes a little humorous.
Try Other Words
- •Complain: to say you are unhappy or not satisfied (Use when you want a general word for expressing unhappiness)
- •Grumble: to complain quietly or in a low voice (Use when the complaint is soft or less direct)
- •Bird: a general word for any flying animal with feathers (Use when talking about animals but not specific to grouse)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (single root word, no prefix or suffix)
- •Etymology: From Old French "grouse," from Old Provençal "grousa," meaning a type of game bird
- •Historical development: Used in English from the 15th century to name the bird; the verb form meaning "to complain" appeared later, possibly from the bird's name or from dialect words meaning to grumble
- •Modern usage: Noun mostly used in hunting or nature contexts; verb used in informal speech to describe complaining
Reflect & Connect
•When do you think it is okay to grouse about something, and when should you try to be more positive?
•How does the meaning of "grouse" change when used as a bird name versus when used as a verb?
Fill in the blanks
1.People often grouse about ___ when things do not go their way.
2.The hunter was quiet as he watched the ___ move through the forest.
3.She tends to grouse ___ the small problems instead of finding solutions.
4.Unlike a loud complaint, to grouse usually means to complain ___ or repeatedly.
5.The ___ is known for its camouflage feathers that help it hide from predators.
6.When customers ___ about service, it shows they are not happy with the experience.
7.He didn’t shout or yell; he just ___ softly about the cold weather.