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.

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earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of woodpecker

First recorded in 1520–30; wood1 + pecker

Words nearby woodpecker

woodlot, woodlouse, woodman, woodmere, woodnote, woodpecker, woodpile, woodprint, woodridge, woodrow, woodruff
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for woodpecker

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