woodspite

noun

wood·​spite

plural -s

: green woodpecker

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier wood-speight, woodspecht, from wood entry 1 + speight, specht green woodpecker, from Middle English specht, probably from Middle Dutch, woodpecker; akin to Old High German speh, speht woodpecker

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!