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
Recent Examples on the Web
The recovery of aspens in Yellowstone will likely benefit other species, too, including birds such as woodpeckers and tree swallows, which make cavity nests in aspen trunks.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
Gilded flickers and Gila woodpeckers, for instance, circumvent the plant’s sharp spines to excavate nest cavities inside its pulpy flesh.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 July 2025
An increase in woodpecker activity may be a sign of an increase in the EAB population nearby.
—Alessia Sandala, Nashville Tennessean, 21 July 2025
However, the noise could be caused by a woodpecker drilling on the gutters or near to one of them.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for woodpecker
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
Gilded flickers and Gila woodpeckers, for instance, circumvent the plant’s sharp spines to excavate nest cavities inside its pulpy flesh.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 July 2025
An increase in woodpecker activity may be a sign of an increase in the EAB population nearby.
—Alessia Sandala, Nashville Tennessean, 21 July 2025
However, the noise could be caused by a woodpecker drilling on the gutters or near to one of them.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 21 July 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 7 Aug. 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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