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nuthatch

American

[nuht-hach] / ˈnʌtˌhætʃ /

noun

any of numerous small, short-tailed, sharp-beaked birds of the family Sittidae that creep on trees and feed on small nuts and insects.

nuthatch British

/ ˈnʌtˌhætʃ /

noun

any songbird of the family Sittidae, esp Sitta europaea, having strong feet and bill, and feeding on insects, seeds, and nuts

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nuthatch

1300–50; Middle English notehache, nuthagge, nuthak, literally, nut hacker. See nut, hack ¹

Compare meaning

How does nuthatch compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

nuthatch vs. chickadee

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

nuthatch

"This winter I got a woodpecker and a nuthatch" he said, adding the images were "extraordinary".

From BBC ● May 17, 2025

“I am happy when I watch a tufted titmouse, nuthatch or any other bird fly to one of my feeders and chow down on a big fat nut or seed,” wrote Donna McDowell of Gaithersburg.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 14, 2023

Like the nuthatch and the creeper, they're probably still asleep.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 15, 2021

In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the nuthatch alone is down 33% from the 1986-95 numbers.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 25, 2019

As he walked, Torak heard the soft piping of bullfinches eating the brambles; a nuthatch tapping a branch for grubs.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023