pileated woodpecker

noun

: a large red-crested North American woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) that is black with white on the face, neck, and undersides of the wings

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web An American golden-plover in Winthrop, a pileated woodpecker at the Stony Brook Reservation, a Wilson’s warbler at McLaughlin Woods in the Mission Hill area, and a vesper sparrow at Millennium Park in West Roxbury. —

Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Nov. 2022 The page should have shown an American robin and pileated woodpecker. —

oregonlive, 16 Mar. 2021 There are 23 species native to the United States—from the tiny downy woodpecker that is only a few inches in length, to the giant pileated woodpecker that’s nearly the size of a crow. —

Outdoor Life, 26 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pileated woodpecker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of pileated woodpecker was in 1782

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Dictionary Entries Near pileated woodpecker

pileated

pileated woodpecker

pile bent

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Pileated woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileated%20woodpecker. Accessed 3 Feb. 2023.

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