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

The need for big trees Another bird that has dramatically increased in population and range is the pileated woodpecker. —Tom Langen, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025

Another potential sign is an increase in woodpecker activity in the affected tree. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025

And that is not subject to the same kind of constraint as the beak of the finch cracking a nut, or a woodpecker pounding into a tree to get food. —Quanta Magazine, 21 Aug. 2025

Listen to snippets of Woodland Songs that are graceful like a deer, staccato like a woodpecker and frenetic like a squirrel. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for woodpecker

• exchequer
• checker
• chequer
• decker
• wrecker

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