woodpecker

American  

[wood-pek-er] / ˈwʊdˌpɛk ər /

noun

1. any of numerous climbing birds of the family Picidae, having a hard, chisel-like 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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woodpecker British  

/ ˈwʊdˌpɛkə /

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of woodpecker

First recorded in 1520–30; wood ¹ + pecker

Example Sentences

Market hunters used shotguns, nets and traps to fill traincars with passenger pigeons—as well as robins, woodpeckers, blackbirds and orioles.

From The Wall Street Journal

They climbed on in silence, and soon even the woodpecker was left behind.

From Literature

He mocked every bird in the Ozark hills; from a redheaded woodpecker to a screaming blue jay.

From Literature

The residents watched the same deer, coyotes and woodpeckers and played tennis and swam with the same dramatic backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a small-scale songbird rehabilitator I am not equipped, for instance, to take on a pileated woodpecker, which can smash its way out of any enclosure not made of steel.

From The Wall Street Journal