DictionaryflickerSpotted woodpecker
noun

flicker

A brownish woodpecker with spotted plumage.

A flicker searches the lawn for ants with its long bill.

Etymology

The bird-name imitates its call. It is distinct from the word for unsteady light or movement.

More examples

  • The flicker's spotted belly helps us identify it.
  • Two flickers cling to the trunk of a dead tree.
  • We hear a flicker calling from the woods.

Forms

flicker · flickers

Similar words

woodpecker
Names the broader bird group, not specifically a flicker.