woodcock

[ wood-kok ]

/ ˈwʊdˌkɒk /

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See synonyms for woodcock on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural wood·cocks, (especially collectively) wood·cock for 1, 2.

either of two plump, short-legged migratory game birds of variegated brown plumage, the Eurasian Scolopax rusticola and the smaller American Philohela minor.

any of various pileated or ivory-billed woodpeckers.

Archaic. a simpleton.

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Origin of woodcock

before 1050; Middle English wodecok,Old English wuducoc.See wood¹, cock¹

Words nearby woodcock

woodchipper, woodchop, woodchopper, woodchuck, wood coal, woodcock, woodcraft, woodcrafter, woodcraftsman, woodcreeper, wood cudweed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use woodcock in a sentence

As I headed back to my car, I passed a group of birders also searching for the woodcock.
How eBird Changed Birding Forever|Jessie Williamson|December 4, 2020|Outside Online
I was also struck by the range of food—he talks about eating tripe and woodcock.
Reichl’s Favorite Food Books|The Browser|August 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Little Brown,—feather from inside of Woodcock's wing, red copper coloured silk for body, and brown hackle for legs.
The Teesdale Angler|R Lakeland
Inside of Woodcock's wing,—body orange coloured silk neatly ribbed,—hackle from a grouse for legs.
The Teesdale Angler|R Lakeland

Small Willow Fly,—wings inside of Woodcock's wing feather,—body mole's fur and yellow silk,—brown hackle for legs.
The Teesdale Angler|R Lakeland
Fry the trail of the woodcock or snipe in a little butter, and place on little rounds of fried bread and arrange round the dish.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
Fillet a brace of woodcock, soak them in salad oil seasoned with black pepper, some cloves, and a pounded head of garlic.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis

British Dictionary definitions for woodcock

woodcock

/ (ˈwʊdˌkɒk) /

noun

an Old World game bird, Scolopax rusticola, resembling the snipe but larger and having shorter legs and neck: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes

a related North American bird, Philohela minor

obsolete a simpleton

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

woodcock

Origin of woodcock

Words nearby woodcock

Words related to woodcock

How to use woodcock in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for woodcock