grouse

Etymology 1

Attested in the 1530s, as grows ("moorhen"), a plural used collectively. The origin of the noun is unknown; the following derivations have been suggested: * From Old French grue (“crane”) (modern French grue) or Medieval Latin gruta (“crane”), both from Latin grūs (“crane”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to cry hoarsely; a crane”). * Borrowed from Celtic or a different Medieval Latin word. * Imitative of the bird’s call. The verb is derived from the noun.

noun

1. (countable) Any of various game birds of the subfamily Tetraoninae which inhabit temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere; specifically, the red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) native to heather moorland on the British Isles.
   (red grouse):
   Among fowls for the table [of King Henry VIII] are crocards, winders, runners, grows, and peions, but neither Turky or Guiney-fowl. 1531 January, “XXI. Extracts from a MS. Dated ‘apud Eltham, mense Jan. 22 Hen. VIII.’ Communicated to the Society by Owen Salusbury Brereton, Esq; Read at the Society of Antiquaries, April 9, 1772.”, in Archaeologia: Or, Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquity, volume III, London: […] Society [of Antiquaries of London]; and by Messieurs Whiston, White, Robson, Baker and Leigh, and Brown, published 1775, →OCLC, page 157
2. (uncountable) The flesh or meat of this bird eaten as food.

verb

1. (intransitive) To hunt or shoot grouse.

Etymology 2

The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is possibly borrowed from Norman groucier, from Old French groucier, grousser (“to grumble, murmur”) [and other forms] (whence grutch (“to complain; to murmur”) and grouch). The further etymology is unknown, but it may be derived from Frankish *grōtijan (“to make cry, scold, rebuke”) or of onomatopoeic origin. The noun is derived from the verb.

verb

1. (intransitive, originally military slang, informal) To complain or grumble.
   If you're cast for fatigue by a sergeant unkind, Don't grouse like a woman, nor crack on, nor blind; Be handy and civil, and then you will find That it's beer for the young British soldier. 1890, Kipling, The Young British Soldier

noun

1. (informal) A cause for complaint; a grumble.

Etymology 3

Uncertain; possibly from British dialectal groosh (“excellent, very good”) (Lothian (Scotland)), grosh (northeast Lancashire) and groshy (“having thriving vegetation; juicy and tender; of weather: good for vegetation, rainy”) (Lancashire, Yorkshire), grushie (“having thriving vegetation”) (Scotland); from Scots groosh (“excellent, very good”) (Lothian, obsolete), grush (obsolete), grushie, grushy (“growing healthily or lushly; excellent, very good”) (both archaic), from gross (“lacking refinement, coarse; fat; large”) + -ie (suffix meaning ‘rather, somewhat’).

adj

1. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Excellent.
   I had a grouse day.    That food was grouse.
   Real grouse birthday this. First time he's had a party. 1965, Mudrooroo, Wild Cat Falling, HarperCollins, published 2001, page 99
   They were the grousest ladies she′d ever met. 1991, Tim Winton, Cloudstreet, Scribner Paperback Fiction, published 2002, page 182
   Not a question but the gag of Mulder pissing on the ID4 poster was grouse. July 23, 1998, Stujo, “SPOILER FTF - questions”, in aus.tv.x-files (Usenet)
   I know, but I moved from riding bikes to flying and it is a great move. All riders without a fear of heights I know that flew with me thought it was grouse- and there are no coppers or speed limits up there. October 4, 2003, Leeroy, “FS Ultralight Aircraft”, in aus.motorcycles (Usenet)