grouse
/ɡraʊs/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡraʊs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgrau̇s/ (ame, mw)
grouse — noun
- grousesingular
- grousesplural
1. a plump wild bird with feathered legs that lives on moors and heathland; people
a plump wild bird with feathered legs that lives on moors and heathland; people hunt it for sport, and its dark meat is served in restaurants, especially during the autumn shooting season.
Hoa spotted a red grouse hiding in the heather on the Scottish moor.
concrete noun: 'a red grouse' as a countable bird
Every August, hunters from London travel north to shoot grouse on the estate.
plural 'grouse' (same form as singular)
Mateo ordered roast grouse with potatoes for his birthday dinner at the inn.
The chef at the village hotel serves grouse only between August and December.
A pair of grouse rose suddenly from the long grass as Christopher walked by.
文法句型
a/the grouse
grouse (uncount.) for the meat
用法筆記
Plural form is the same as the singular ('three grouse', not 'three grouses'). When the word refers to the meat, it is uncountable, like 'beef' or 'chicken'.
常見錯誤
2. something you say with annoyance when you are unhappy about a situation, usually
something you say with annoyance when you are unhappy about a situation, usually a small everyday problem rather than a serious wrong.
Imran's main grouse about the new office is the slow lift in the morning.
pattern: a grouse about + noun
The drivers had a few grouses about the change to their work hours.
countable plural 'grouses' (different from the bird sense)
Eitan listened patiently as his neighbour shared her usual grouse about the noisy children.
My only grouse with the hotel was the very thin walls between the rooms.
- compliment
an expression of approval rather than annoyance
文法句型
a grouse about/against something
have a grouse
用法筆記
Used for small, everyday complaints, not serious problems. Distinguish from sense 1 (the bird): in this sense the plural is 'grouses' with -s, whereas the bird's plural is unchanged 'grouse'.
常見錯誤
grouse — verb
- grousepresent simple I / you / we / they
- grouses3rd person singular
- grousing-ing form
- grousedpast simple
1. to keep saying in an annoyed tone that you are unhappy with something, usually a
to keep saying in an annoyed tone that you are unhappy with something, usually a small everyday inconvenience rather than a serious problem.
Yan groused about the cold weather every morning during his trip to Toronto.
pattern: grouse about + noun
Léa groused that her train was always five minutes late.
pattern: grouse that + clause
The waiters were grousing to each other about the rude customer at table six.
Stop grousing about the food, Hugo, and finish your dinner.
Baraka has been grousing about the new parking rules at her office all week.
- praise
to say good things about someone or something, the opposite of grousing
文法句型
grouse about something
grouse that + clause
grouse to someone
用法筆記
Used for repeated, low-level complaining rather than a one-off serious complaint. Subject is usually a person; the topic appears after 'about' or in a 'that'-clause. Distinguish from the noun sense 2 — the verb is the act of complaining, the noun is the complaint itself.
常見錯誤
grouse — adjective
- grousepositive
- grousercomparative
- grousestsuperlative
1. very good or pleasing; a casual word that Australians sometimes use to show enth
very good or pleasing; a casual word that Australians sometimes use to show enthusiasm about an experience, meal, or event.
Defne said the fish and chips at the Melbourne café were absolutely grouse.
Australian informal: 'grouse' meaning excellent
What a grouse afternoon at the beach with Michael and the kids!
attributive use: 'a grouse afternoon'
Lukas thought the surf at Bondi that morning was pretty grouse.
Élise's homemade pavlova at the barbecue was grouse, the guests all said.
- awful
general English for the opposite — very bad or unpleasant
文法句型
be grouse
a grouse + noun
用法筆記
Mainly heard in Australian English, and now slightly old-fashioned. Used in casual speech, never in formal writing. Distinguish from the noun and verb senses, which are general English.