: 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 WebAll types of birds fall victim: Warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and others die in huge numbers every year.—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 15 July 2024 Worse still, woodpeckers drill into the wood, hoping to feed on carpenter bees and their larvae.—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2024 Holes that are in rows are caused by woodpeckers and sapsuckers.—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2024 Woodpecker Walk, 10 a.m. at Fort Harrison State Park in Indy: Join a park naturalist to learn about the variety of woodpeckers that may be heard and seen throughout the park.—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 30 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for woodpecker
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woodpecker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
: 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
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