partridge
1 Americannoun
plural
partridges,plural
partridge-
any of several Old World gallinaceous game birds of the subfamily Perdicinae, especially Perdix perdix.
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Chiefly Northern U.S. the ruffed grouse.
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Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. bobwhite.
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any of several other North American gallinaceous game birds.
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any of various South and Central American tinamous.
noun
noun
-
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)
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any of various other gallinaceous birds, esp the bobwhite and ruffed grouse
noun
Other Word Forms
- partridgelike adjective
Etymology
Origin of partridge
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We indulge in not one but two meats: carrilleras, stewed pork cheeks with red peppers, and perdiz escabechada, cold partridge preserved in vinegar and herbs with a crisp salad.
From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025
Schwarzman, who usually arrives by helicopter, also bought the farm next door to host pheasant and partridge shoots.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025
One X user wrote they were “glad that olivia rodrigo and louis partridge are finally dating people their age and not weirdos in their late twenties who think it’s okay to date teens.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2023
On the first day of Christmas, it will set shoppers back $280.18 to buy a partridge in a pear tree for their true love — a 25.8% increase from last year.
From Washington Times • Dec. 23, 2022
“To think I worried about that little bird. I might have known it would gobble up a nice fat partridge in no time.”
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
