woodcock
/'wudkɔk/
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of game bird: A medium-sized, long-billed wading bird belonging to the sandpiper family (Scolopacidae), known for its cryptic plumage and preference for damp, wooded habitats.
- A bird resembling a snipe: It is similar to a snipe but generally has a more rounded body, a shorter neck, and distinctive plumage patterns, often hunted as game.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The American woodcock is known for its elaborate courtship display.
- Hunters wait quietly at dusk for the woodcock to begin its flight.
- We heard the distinctive "peent" call of the woodcock in the clearing.
Advanced Usage
- "as wise as a woodcock": An ironic or proverbial phrase suggesting someone is not wise at all, playing on the bird's perceived simplicity or the ease with which it can be caught.
- He trusted that scam artist? He's as wise as a woodcock.
- "woodcock season": Refers to the legally designated time of year when hunting the bird is permitted.
- He marks his calendar for the opening of woodcock season every autumn.
Variants and Related Words
- Woodcocks (n): The standard plural form.
- Several woodcocks were spotted in the alder thicket.
- Woodcocking (n): The activity of hunting woodcock.
- He enjoys woodcocking more than any other form of bird hunting.
Synonyms
- Timberdoodle (n, informal): A common colloquial name for the American woodcock.
- Bogsucker (n, informal): Another informal name referencing its habitat and feeding behavior.
Related Phrases
- To spring a woodcock: A hunting term meaning to flush or startle a woodcock into flight.
- The dog worked perfectly to spring the woodcock from its cover.
- Woodcock earthworm: Refers to its primary diet, often used to describe its feeding grounds.
- The soil here is rich, perfect for woodcock earthworms.
Related Idioms
- A woodcock to one's own springe: An archaic idiom meaning to be caught in one's own trap or snare. ("Springe" means a snare for catching birds).
- By lying, he became a woodcock to his own springe when his story unraveled.
Noun
-
game bird of the sandpiper family that resembles a snipe
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