partridge

 

From Middle English partrich, partriche, pertriche, perdriz, from Old French perdriz, partriz, from Latin perdīx (“partridge”), from Ancient Greek πέρδιξ (pérdix, “partridge”), probably from πέρδομαι (pérdomai, “to fart”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• (US) enPR: pärʹtrĭj, IPA^(key): /ˈpɑɹtɹɪd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)tɹɪdʒ

partridge (plural partridges or partridge)

1. (ornithology) Any bird of a number of genera in the family Phasianidae, notably in the genera Perdix and Alectoris.

   On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree.

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 80:

     ...and the loudest sound in the lonely fields was when, adventuring too near some late brood, the partridge sought to deceive by a plaintive cry and seeming helplessness, crossing before your very feet, till, when drawn to a sufficient distance, suddenly the air vibrated to the flutter of her active pinions.

2. (obsolete, military) A type of cannon charge composed of several missiles fired all together, similar to langrage or case-shot. Also a large cannon that shoots stones.

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