hairy woodpecker

noun

: a common North American woodpecker (Picoides villosus) closely resembling the downy woodpecker but larger with a longer bill

Examples of hairy woodpecker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Davie Park filled in some gaps in our list with such goodies as a brown creeper, pine warbler and hairy woodpecker. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The hairy woodpecker and the downy woodpecker are quite similar and can be difficult for novice birders to distinguish. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Oct. 2021 One challenge was to discern the hairy woodpecker from its doppelganger, the downy woodpecker. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 17 July 2019 Red-bellied, downy and hairy woodpeckers love peanuts, a high-protein, high-energy food, as do other songbirds. Evan MacDonald, cleveland.com, 25 Dec. 2017 The forest also is home to bear, coyote, deer and birds from hairy woodpeckers to red-breasted sapsuckers. Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, 25 Dec. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hairy woodpecker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1728, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hairy woodpecker was circa 1728

Dictionary Entries Near hairy woodpecker

Cite this Entry

“Hairy woodpecker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hairy%20woodpecker. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hairy woodpecker

noun
: a common North American woodpecker closely resembling but larger than the downy woodpecker

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