Illustration of woodpecker
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
Examples of woodpecker in a Sentence
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The organization’s extensive landscape provides habitat for various resident and migratory birds–woodpeckers, waxwings, nuthatches, warblers, buntings, and tanagers, to name just a few.
—
Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
Suet cakes are one of the best foods for attracting woodpeckers.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025
Local residents include woodpeckers, doves, crows, tawny owls and Little Sparrow Edith Piaf.
—Sadie Stein, New York Times, 15 May 2025
And those cameras often need to be replaced because, of all things, woodpeckers occasionally hammer out the lenses and sensors, Gómez told me.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2025
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Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
Suet cakes are one of the best foods for attracting woodpeckers.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 2025
Local residents include woodpeckers, doves, crows, tawny owls and Little Sparrow Edith Piaf.
—Sadie Stein, New York Times, 15 May 2025
And those cameras often need to be replaced because, of all things, woodpeckers occasionally hammer out the lenses and sensors, Gómez told me.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for woodpecker
Cite this Entry
“Woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woodpecker. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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