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Glite Dictionary
✨ To shine unsteadily 💡 A brief flash 🪶 A woodpecker
flicker

flicker

1 7.4
A large woodpecker with brown spotted feathers that often feeds on the ground
  • noun
  • /ˈflɪkər/
  • US
translation icon : carpintero
  • Many birdwatchers enjoy observing the flicker as it forages and interacts with other woodpecker species.
  • northern flicker
  • flicker woodpecker
  • yellow-shafted flicker

Examples

  • I get the Ladderback and the Northern Flicker in my yard regularly.

    Blog text (14)

  • Best of all, it attracts creeping birds like nuthatches, woodpeckers, and flickers.

    Blog text (23)

  • The northern flicker is known for its distinctive spotted underparts and its preference for feeding on the ground.

  • During my hike, I spotted a flicker searching for insects in the leaf litter.

Synonyms

woodpecker
vsflicker
21 1.4

A bird with a strong beak that makes holes in trees to find insects

is the specific brownish, spotted, ground-feeding species rather than the general type
Colaptes auratus
vsflicker
  • Specialized
9.9

A large woodpecker in eastern North America with a red neck and yellow undersides on its wings and tail

is the common name used in everyday English for the same bird
yellowhammer
vsflicker
  • US
9.9

A large North American woodpecker with a red neck and yellow underwings and tail

is described more generally as brownish with spotted underparts and ground feeding

Compounds

flicker of hope
1 4.1

A small, brief feeling that things may get better

gilded flicker
  • US
9.9

A large woodpecker from the southwestern United States without a red neck

red-shafted flicker
  • Specialized
9.2

A large woodpecker with red feathers under its wings and on its tail that lives in the western United States

yellow-shafted flicker
  • US
9.9

A large woodpecker with yellow feathers under its wings and tail and a red patch on its neck

Surface Forms

flicker singular
flickers plural

Morphology

flicker = flick (semi-transparent) = flick + er

The bird name likely comes from the verb 'flick' + -er, but the link between the verb meaning and the specific species name is lexicalized and not a predictable semantic derivation for learners.

Etymology

Flicker the bird was named for its quick 'flicking' movements and shares the same root flick. So the woodpecker is called a flicker because it often 'flicks' its tail or wings while feeding, which helps you remember the name.