tree creeper
- noun
:
trepador
- Unlike woodpeckers, the tree creeper relies on its stiff tail feathers for support while climbing.
Examples
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The tree creeper uses its curved bill to search for insects hidden in the bark.
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Birdwatchers spotted a rare tree creeper moving quickly up the trunk of an old cedar.
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Look at that tree creeper climbing up the trunk!
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I spotted a tree creeper on the oak tree.
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Birdwatchers spotted a rare tree creeper moving rapidly up the trunk of an old cedar as it searched for insects.
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The tree creeper uses its curved bill to skillfully extract insects hidden beneath the bark of trees.
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While observing nature, I noticed a tree creeper climbing expertly up the trunk of a tall pine.
Synonyms
A small brown North American bird that climbs tree trunks to find insects
A small North American songbird with a curved beak that climbs tree trunks to find insects
A small bird that climbs tree trunks to find insects
A small North American bird with a thin curved bill that climbs tree trunks to find insects
A small brown bird that climbs tree trunks to find insects
A bird of Central and South America with a curved bill and stiff tail that climbs trunks like a woodpecker
A bird with a curved beak and stiff tail that climbs tree trunks to find insects like a woodpecker
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is a straightforward modifier + head composition: 'tree' specifies the habitat/target and 'creeper' names the small bird that climbs trunks, so the overall meaning ('a creeper that climbs trees') is directly derivable from the parts. This head-modifier pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows regular English compounding, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Tree creeper is named for the way it creeps up tree trunks. The word creeper shows it moves slowly and uses its stiff tail to push against the tree trunk while it searches the bark for insects, so the name means 'a small bird that climbs trees to find insects'.
