woodpecker

[ woo d-pek-er ]

/ ˈwʊdˌpɛk ər /

noun

any of numerous climbing birds of the family Picidae, having a hard, chisellike bill that it hammers repeatedly into wood in search of insects, stiff tail feathers to assist in climbing, and usually more or less boldly patterned plumage.

Nearby words

woodlouse, woodman, woodmancraft, woodmere, woodnote, woodpecker, woodpile, woodprint, woodridge, woodrow, woodruff

Origin of woodpecker

First recorded in 1520–30; wood¹ + pecker

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for woodpecker

The Texas native blasted the crew for being “hard as woodpecker lips.”
This is how Delta Air Lines Treats Disabled Veterans|Justin Green|December 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
"Guess we'll make a fire first and see if we can't see him," said the Woodpecker.
Two Little Savages|Ernest Thompson Seton
High up on the dead spire of a walnut tree a woodpecker began to beat a long, rattling tattoo.
Hoosier Mosaics|Maurice Thompson
A woodpecker, sitting near, and hearing this song, replies; assuming the sex of the infant to be a female.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft

Its attitude in this situation much resembled that of a woodpecker.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 20, Issue 566, September 15, 1832|Various
This woodpecker, too, has partly given up getting food from under the bark.
The Children's Book of Birds|Olive Thorne Miller

British Dictionary definitions for woodpecker

woodpecker

/ (ˈwʊdˌpɛkə) /

noun

any climbing bird of the family Picidae, typically having a brightly coloured plumage and strong chisel-like bill with which they bore into trees for insects: order Piciformes

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