Partridge: meaning, definitions and examples

Partridge is often associated with ornithology, hunting, and fairytales. It is particularly well-known from the Christmas carol 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'.

• The partridge nested calmly in the old pear tree.
• He went hunting and managed to catch a partridge.

Quail is often used in both hunting and gourmet culinary contexts. The word can also imply being overwhelmed or shrinking back in fear, though this is less common.

• For lunch, the chef prepared a delicious quail salad.
• He saw the shadow and quailed, not knowing what it was.

Pheasant is commonly mentioned in hunting and gourmet cooking. It can be used to evoke an upscale, rustic, or gamey culinary context.

• They grilled pheasant over an open fire during their camping trip.
• The restaurant's special tonight is roasted pheasant with wild berries.

Grouse is typically used in the context of hunting and culinary arts. It can also be used in a slang manner to mean complaining, which has a bit of a negative connotation.

• They had grouse for dinner after a successful day of hunting.
• Stop grousing about the weather; there's nothing we can do about it.