WordGarden.iowoodcock
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /wˈʊdkɒk/
US
- /ˈwʊdˌkɑk/
Meanings
Noun
a stocky long-billed game bird of wet woodland
meat from a woodcock eaten as food
Beyond the definition
The woodcock is a small, plump bird with a long bill, known for living in damp woods and moving quietly through the undergrowth. Even though it belongs to a group of birds often linked with shores and wetlands, this one is most at home in forests, where it probes soft soil for worms and other small creatures. People know it both as a wild bird to watch and as a game bird. In older writing, the word can also mean a person who is easily tricked.
The word "woodcock" usually refers to a plump, long-billed bird of the genus Scolopax. It is a kind of shorebird, but unlike many of its relatives, it spends much of its time in damp woods, thickets, and other sheltered places rather than out on open shores. It uses its long bill to probe soft ground for worms and other small creatures, and it is well known for its quiet habits and excellent camouflage.
The bird is also widely known as a game bird, so the word often appears in hunting and countryside writing. In that setting, "woodcock" suggests a bird that is hard to spot until it suddenly rises from the forest floor. Because of that long history, the word carries a strong sense of woodland life, field sports, and old rural scenes.
In older English, "woodcock" could also be used for a person who is foolish, gullible, or easily caught in a trick. That figurative sense comes from the idea of the bird being easy to snare. So in most modern use, "woodcock" names the bird itself, but in historical or literary writing, it may also describe someone who is easily deceived.
Examples
- 1
Bird watching
We were lucky enough to spot a woodcock at the edge of the woods at dusk.
- 2
Seasonal behavior
In winter, woodcock often hide in thick cover during the day.
- Grammar
woodcock can mean one bird or more than one
- 3
Habitat restoration
The reserve has restored wet woodland to help local woodcock populations recover.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- woodcocknoun
Forms
- woodcockspluralnoun