ptarmigan

P3T1A1R1M3I1G2A1N1
UK/ˈtɑːmɪɡən/

noun

Any of three species of small grouse in the genus Lagopus found in subarctic tundra areas of North America and Eurasia.

Similar
lagopusrype
OriginScottish Gaelic tarmachan →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounptarmigan (plural ptarmigan or ptarmigans)

plural ptarmigans

  1. Any of three species of small grouse in the genus Lagopus found in subarctic tundra areas of North America and Eurasia.

    Synonyms: lagopus, rype

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of three species of small grouse in the genus Lagopus found in subarctic tundra areas of North America and Eurasia.

Similar
lagopusrype

Origin

  1. Scottish Gaelictarmachan
  2. Englishptarmigan

From Scottish Gaelic tarmachan, of unknown origin. The pt- comes from a mistaken belief in a Greek origin, as if related to ptero- (“wing”).

More words from Scottish Gaelic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian бяла яребица
  • бяла яребица (bjala jarebica)a small grouse, Lagopus
Chinese Mandarin 鷓鴣 /鹧鸪, 雷鳥 /雷鸟
  • 鷓鴣 /鹧鸪 (zhègū)a small grouse, Lagopus
  • 雷鳥 /雷鸟 (léiniǎo)a small grouse, Lagopus
Czech bělokur
  • bělokura small grouse, Lagopus
Danish fjeldrype
  • fjeldrypea small grouse, Lagopus
Dutch sneeuwhoen
  • sneeuwhoena small grouse, Lagopus
Finnish kiiruna
  • kiirunaa small grouse, Lagopus
French ptarmigan, lagopède
  • ptarmigana small grouse, Lagopus
  • lagopèdea small grouse, Lagopus
German Schneehuhn
  • Schneehuhna small grouse, Lagopus
Greek βουνοχιονόκοτα
  • βουνοχιονόκοτα (vounochionókota)a small grouse, Lagopus
Hungarian hófajd
  • hófajda small grouse, Lagopus
Icelandic rjúpa
  • rjúpaa small grouse, Lagopus
Indonesian ayam salju
  • ayam saljua small grouse, Lagopus
Irish tarmachan
  • tarmachana small grouse, Lagopus
Japanese 雷鳥
  • 雷鳥 (raichō)a small grouse, Lagopus
Norwegian Bokmål rype
  • rypea small grouse, Lagopus
Polish pardwa
  • pardwaa small grouse, Lagopus
Portuguese lagópode, lagopo
  • lagópodea small grouse, Lagopus
  • lagopoa small grouse, Lagopus
Romanian cocoș polar, ptarmigan
  • cocoș polara small grouse, Lagopus
  • ptarmigana small grouse, Lagopus
  • potârniche albăa small grouse, Lagopus
Russian бе́лая куропа́тка, тундря́ная куропа́тка
  • бе́лая куропа́тка (bélaja kuropátka)a small grouse, Lagopus
  • тундря́ная куропа́тка (tundrjánaja kuropátka)a small grouse, Lagopus
Scottish Gaelic tarmachan
  • tarmachana small grouse, Lagopus
Slovak tetrov obyčajný
  • tetrov obyčajnýa small grouse, Lagopus
Spanish lagópodo, perdiz nival
  • lagópodoa small grouse, Lagopus
  • perdiz nivala small grouse, Lagopus
Swedish ripa
  • ripaa small grouse, Lagopus
Welsh grugiar
  • grugiara small grouse, Lagopus
Cite this entry
APA

ptarmigan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ptarmigan

MLA

“ptarmigan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ptarmigan. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ptarmigan,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ptarmigan.

Source: ptarmigan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.