partridge

[ pahr-trij ]
See synonyms for partridge on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural par·tridg·es, (especially collectively) par·tridge.
  1. any of several Old World gallinaceous game birds of the subfamily Perdicinae, especially Perdix perdix.

  2. Chiefly Northern U.S. the ruffed grouse.

  1. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. bobwhite.

  2. any of several other North American gallinaceous game birds.

  3. any of various South and Central American tinamous.

Origin of partridge

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English partrich, variant of pertrich, from Middle French pertris, variant of perdris, Old French perd(r)iz, from Latin perdix, from Greek pérdix

Other words from partridge

  • par·tridge·like, adjective

Other definitions for Partridge (2 of 2)

Partridge
[ pahr-trij ]

noun
  1. Eric (Hon·ey·wood) [huhn-ee-wood], /ˈhʌn iˌwʊd/, 1894–1979, British lexicographer, born in New Zealand.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use partridge in a sentence

  • I returned, mad and wet, with a dozen partridges and a white hare—brown at that season—and William cooked them vilely.

    In Search of the Unknown | Robert W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for partridge (1 of 2)

partridge

/ (ˈpɑːtrɪdʒ) /


nounplural -tridges or -tridge
  1. any of various small Old World gallinaceous game birds of the genera Perdix, Alectoris, etc, esp P. perdix (common or European partridge): family Phasianidae (pheasants)

  2. US and Canadian any of various other gallinaceous birds, esp the bobwhite and ruffed grouse

Origin of partridge

1
C13: from Old French perdriz, from Latin perdix, from Greek

British Dictionary definitions for Partridge (2 of 2)

Partridge

/ (ˈpɑːtrɪdʒ) /


noun
  1. Eric (Honeywood). 1894–1979, British lexicographer, born in New Zealand; author of works on English usage, idiom, slang, and etymology

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012