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par·tridge

(pärtrĭj)

n. pl. partridge or par·tridg·es

1. Any of various plump-bodied game birds of several genera in the family Phasianidae, native to Eurasia and Africa and introduced elsewhere.

2. Any of several game birds, such as the ruffed grouse or the bobwhite, similar to a partridge.

[Middle English partrich, from Old French perdriz, alteration of perdis, from Latin perdīx, from Greek; see perd- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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partridge

male gray partridge

Perdix perdix

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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