red-legged partridge
- noun
- The red-legged partridge is often found in open farmland and grassland across western Europe.
Examples
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The red-legged partridge is known for its distinctive markings.
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Hunters in Spain prize the red-legged partridge for its challenging flight and excellent flavor.
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A flock of red-legged partridges crossed the dirt path as we walked through the countryside.
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Many hunters seek the red-legged partridge during the season.
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A flock of red-legged partridges crossed the dirt path as we walked through the countryside.
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Hunters in Spain prize the red-legged partridge for its challenging flight and excellent flavor.
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The red-legged partridge is often found in open farmland and grassland across western Europe.
Synonyms
A medium-sized bird with red legs and brown patterned feathers from western Europe
Surface Forms
Morphology
red-legged + partridge
The meaning is directly compositional: 'red-legged' = having red legs and 'partridge' = a bird, so the phrase denotes a partridge with red legs. This color + body-part adjective + noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows regular English compounding, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand it.
Etymology
Red-legged partridge is named for how it looks: the partridge has bright red legs, so people used red and legged to name it. So the name means 'a partridge with red legs'.