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Definition of ruffed grouse

ruffed grouse

Plural:ruffed grouse
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• noun

1

North American A medium-sized, cryptically colored game bird native to the forests of North America, recognized by the prominent dark ruff of neck feathers and the male's distinctive wing-drumming mating display.

Example

"While hiking through the dense Appalachian woods in early spring, we heard the deep, accelerating thumps of a drumming ruffed grouse."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for ruffed grouse

Word Nuance & Usage

Often colloquially referred to as a 'partridge' in various parts of North America, though it is biologically distinct from true partridges.

• Nearby Words

rue
ruellia
ruff
ruffed grouse
rufiji
rufous
rufous-beaked snake

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ruffed grouse. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 18, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ruffed%20grouse
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