woodcock
noun
wood·cock
ˈwu̇d-ˌkäk 
plural woodcocks
1
or plural woodcock
a
: a shorebird (Scolopax rusticola) of Europe and Asia that frequents moist woodlands, has large eyes and rounded wings, is of a variously mottled reddish-brown, black, and buff color with a barred chest, and is often hunted as game
Note: The woodcock has a long bill with a sensitive tip used especially for probing the ground for earthworms and insects.
b
: a smaller related bird (Scolopax minor synonym Philohela minor) chiefly of eastern North America with a similar color pattern but having a solid orange buff chest
2
Examples of woodcock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Other events throughout the day include kid-friendly Easter stories, live birds of prey, a bluebird box workshop and an American woodcock sky dance.
—
Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2024
In the spring, areas around the younger trees drew ground nesters like bobolinks — songbirds that migrate to and from South America — killdeer and woodcocks, who availed themselves of the open spaces to perform their courtship flights and rear their young.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2023
Overview The woodcock is a shorebird without a shore.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 18 Oct. 2023
By morning, carcasses ranging from Tennessee warblers to hermit thrush to American woodcocks littered the ground outside the convention center.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
The woodcock, also known as the timberdoodle, can be spotted on the ground beneath shrubbery, doing a groovy little dance.
—Dodai Stewart, New York Times, 6 June 2023
In the spring and the fall, the American woodcock often makes an appearance.
—Dodai Stewart, New York Times, 6 June 2023
An American woodcock was spotted in a small park surrounded by Manhattan skyscrapers.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
Recent bird sightings reported to Mass Audubon: A number of American woodcocks have been observed calling at dusk in open fields near swampy woods, thanks to the mild weather.
—Camilo Fonseca, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Feb. 2023
Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2024
In the spring, areas around the younger trees drew ground nesters like bobolinks — songbirds that migrate to and from South America — killdeer and woodcocks, who availed themselves of the open spaces to perform their courtship flights and rear their young.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2023
Overview The woodcock is a shorebird without a shore.
—Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 18 Oct. 2023
By morning, carcasses ranging from Tennessee warblers to hermit thrush to American woodcocks littered the ground outside the convention center.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
The woodcock, also known as the timberdoodle, can be spotted on the ground beneath shrubbery, doing a groovy little dance.
—Dodai Stewart, New York Times, 6 June 2023
In the spring and the fall, the American woodcock often makes an appearance.
—Dodai Stewart, New York Times, 6 June 2023
An American woodcock was spotted in a small park surrounded by Manhattan skyscrapers.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 9 May 2023
Recent bird sightings reported to Mass Audubon: A number of American woodcocks have been observed calling at dusk in open fields near swampy woods, thanks to the mild weather.
—Camilo Fonseca, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woodcock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Woodcock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woodcock. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
woodcock
noun
wood·cock
-ˌkäk
plural woodcocks or woodcock
: a brownish woodland game bird that has a long bill and is related to the snipes
also
: a related and similar bird of Eurasia
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