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  • synonyms

sand grouse

or sand·grouse

noun
  1. any of several birds of the family Pteroclididae inhabiting sandy areas of the Old World, resembling both pigeons and shorebirds and having precocial young.
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Origin of sand grouse

First recorded in 1775–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sand grouse

Historical Examples of sand grouse

  • The chief feature was the extraordinary abundance of sand-grouse.

    Letters from Mesopotamia

    Robert Palmer

  • The vultures and the sand-grouse held it undisturbed in a perpetual tenancy.

    The Four Feathers

    A. E. W. Mason

  • Packs of sand-grouse (Pterocles arenarius) with musical croak flew close around.

    Unexplored Spain

    Abel Chapman

  • In Afghnistn and Bikanir, the sand-grouse is called ttrak and boora kurra (Jerdon, ii, 498).

    The Bbur-nma in English

    Babur, Emperor of Hindustan

  • The sand-grouse (Pterocles arenarius) is occasionally found, as also are the eagle and the bee-eater.