Meaning & use
a woodpecker
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a bird with a strong beak that makes holes in tree trunks to find insects
Grammar: Countable noun: a woodpecker, two woodpeckers. It is a living creature, so use it or they, not it for a group.
Patterns
- a woodpecker pecks at something
- see a woodpecker
- hear a woodpecker
We heard a woodpecker tapping on the old oak tree.
A woodpecker landed on the bird feeder and looked for seeds.
Woodpeckers make holes in trees to find insects and to build nests.
Word forms
| plural | woodpeckers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a woodpecker pecks at a tree
- The woodpecker pecked at the tree for several minutes.
- the sound of a woodpecker
- The sound of a woodpecker woke us early.
- a red-headed woodpecker
- A red-headed woodpecker sat on the fence.
- spot a woodpecker
- Birdwatchers hope to spot a woodpecker in these woods.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pecker
- An informal short form, but it can have a rude meaning, so learners should avoid it.
- tree creeper
- A different bird that also climbs trees but does not hammer holes.
Word family
Commonly confused: a woodpecker or woodpecker / woodpicker?
a woodpecker vs woodpecker / woodpicker
The bird is a woodpecker, from 'peck' (hit with the beak), not 'pick'. A woodpicker is not a standard word.
Practice
We could hear a ______ drumming on the trunk of the tree.
Choose one answer.
A woodpecker is the bird that makes a drumming sound on trees. A woodcutter cuts trees down, and a woodworker makes things from wood.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a woodpecker”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.