sapsucker

[ sap-suhk-er ]

noun

1. any of several American woodpeckers of the genus Sphyrapicus that drill holes in maple, apple, hemlock, etc., drinking the sap and eating the insects that gather there.

sapsucker

/ ˈsæpˌsʌkə /

noun

1. either of two North American woodpeckers, Sphyrapicus varius or S. thyroideus, that have white wing patches and feed on the sap from trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of sapsucker¹

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; sap ¹ + sucker