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Glite Dictionary
horse of the wood

horse of the wood

9.9
A large dark bird that lives in forests in Europe and Asia
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : gallo de los bosques
  • The horse of the wood is a magnificent bird often heard booming in the forests of Europe.

Examples

  • The decline of the horse of the wood in certain regions has concerned conservationists.

  • While hiking in the Carpathians, we caught a glimpse of a rare horse of the wood.

  • The horse of the wood is renowned for its impressive size and deep, booming call.

  • The horse of the wood is known for its impressive size.

  • Many birdwatchers seek out the horse of the wood in Europe.

  • During our trip to the mountains, we were thrilled to see a horse of the wood in its natural habitat.

  • The horse of the wood is a key species in forest ecosystems, contributing to local biodiversity.

Synonyms

capercaillie
vshorse of the wood
  • UK
9.9

A large dark forest bird like a grouse that makes a loud mating display

focuses on the forest habitat rather than the courtship display
capercailzie
vshorse of the wood
  • UK
9.9

A large black forest bird like a grouse that lives in Europe and Asia

emphasizes the species' forest habitat and broad Old World distribution
Tetrao urogallus
vshorse of the wood
  • UK
9.9

A very large forest bird, a type of grouse that lives in northern Europe and parts of Asia

refers to the species in general common terms rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

horse of the wood singular
horses of the wood plural

Morphology

horse + of + the + wood

A B1 learner who knows 'horse' and 'wood' would most likely interpret 'horse of the wood' as a horse that lives in the woods, not as a species of large grouse. The name is metaphorical or traditional for a bird (capercaillie) and its specific zoological meaning cannot be derived from the literal constituents, so it is not transparent.

Etymology

Horse of the wood comes from a simple image: people saw a very large, dark forest bird with a deep, booming call and thought of a horse in the wood. So the name came to mean the big forest grouse now called 'capercaillie'.