woodpecker

noun

wood·​peck·​er ˈwu̇d-ˌpe-kər 

: any of numerous birds (family Picidae) with zygodactyl feet, stiff spiny tail feathers used in climbing or resting on tree trunks, a usually extensible tongue, a very hard bill used to drill the bark or wood of trees for insect food or to excavate nesting cavities, and generally showy parti-colored plumage

Illustration of woodpecker

Examples of woodpecker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Companies perfected the art of evasion, leaving us jabbing the zero key like a deranged woodpecker just to talk to someone with a pulse. —Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

The woodpecker moved on, and the owlet fledged with its two siblings about an hour later. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Allen was not the first to be enthralled by this charismatic bird, the largest woodpecker in the U.S., with stunning black-and-white plumage, gleaming white bill and yellow eyes. —Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024

The woodpeckers will have new reasons to laugh at me. —Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing woodpecker

• acorn woodpecker
• downy woodpecker
• hairy woodpecker
• ivory-billed woodpecker
• pileated woodpecker
• red-bellied woodpecker
• red-cockaded woodpecker

Kids Definition

woodpecker

noun

wood·​peck·​er -ˌpek-ər 

: any of numerous brightly marked birds with strong claws and stiff tail feathers used in climbing or resting on tree trunks, a long flexible tongue, and a very hard bill used to drill into trees to get insects for food and to dig out holes for nesting