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Glite Dictionary
wood hoopoe

wood hoopoe

9.9
A tropical African bird with shiny black feathers and a long tail that looks for insects under tree bark
  • noun
  • South African
translation icon : hoopoe de madera
  • We watched a flock of wood hoopoes searching for insects under tree bark.

Examples

  • The wood hoopoe is easily recognized by its iridescent plumage and long tail.

  • Unlike the true hoopoe, the wood hoopoe does not have a crest.

  • I saw a wood hoopoe in the garden.

  • The wood hoopoes are known for their striking appearance.

  • The wood hoopoe is easily recognized by its iridescent plumage and long tail.

  • We watched a flock of wood hoopoes searching for insects under tree bark.

  • Unlike the true hoopoe, the wood hoopoe does not have a crest.

Surface Forms

wood hoopoe singular
wood hoopoes plural

Morphology

wood + hoopoe

This is a straightforward compound where 'wood' modifies 'hoopoe', so a learner who knows both words can infer it names a kind of hoopoe associated with wooded areas (i.e., a wood-dwelling hoopoe). The precise taxonomic or plumage details in the dictionary definition are not predictable from the parts, but the basic meaning 'a hoopoe of the woods' is directly derivable, making it transparent for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The name wood hoopoe joins wood (because it lives in trees) and hoopoe (a better-known bird with a similar shape and call). So, the name suggests a 'hoopoe of the woods' and explains why it refers to this tree-living, metallic-black bird.