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

That there is no need to fill consciousness at all moments with the artificial urgencies of screens, of emails, of texts, of social media; the real urgencies of the bright-eyed woodpecker above my head will always be vastly more interesting. —Literary Hub, 1 May 2026

The holes can also attract other wildlife in search of food, such as woodpeckers looking for larvae to eat. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026

As migration season begins, get ready for an influx of species, from flamingos to forest woodpeckers. —Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Apr. 2026

Black oil sunflower seeds attract a wide variety of birds including cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays, goldfinches, purple finches, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 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