hickwall
A lesser spotted woodpeckerA lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor).
Meaning
3 senses(UK, regional)A lesser spotted woodpecker (Dryobates minor).
(UK, regional)A European green woodpecker (Picus viridis).
(UK, archaic, regional)A blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus.
Origin
From Middle English hyghwhele; also highwale (1500s) or highawe (1600s). Rarely attested bFrom Middle English hyghwhele; also highwale (1500s) or highawe (1600s). Rarely attested before the sixteenth century, making the original form difficult to trace. Probably imitative of the bird's cry; compare yaffle (“green woodpecker”). Possibly influenced by witwall, woodwall.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.