Definition of: woodpecker

(wood′pek′ər) noun
Any of a large family (Picidae) of birds related to the flickers, having stiff tail feathers to aid in climbing, strong claws, and a sharp, chisel-like bill for drilling holes in woodin search of insects; especially, the red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) of North America, which has the head and upper breast deep red and the tail black, tipped with white; and the pileated woodpecker of North America (Ceophloeus pileatus) with a scarlet crest, white throat, white wing markings, and a large yellowish bill.