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 group’s helpline had lost contact with him, and when Chrzanowska called out only a woodpecker replied. —Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026

Wading birds stalk the shallows, woodpeckers tap through the hammocks, and osprey circle overhead along the river corridor. —Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026

Their acorns are also a favorite food of woodpeckers and jays, and their large branches and cavities provide birds with shelter and nesting sites. —Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026

Some trees have been used for acorn storage for more than a century by generations of woodpeckers. —Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026

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