Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A woodpecker.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.), Obs. or Prov. Eng. A woodpecker; -- called also specht, spekt, spight.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun bird a woodpecker.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1598, from earlier specht (1552, "woodpecker"), probably of Middle Dutch or Middle Low German origin, from Middle Low German specht ("wookpecker"), from Old Saxon speht ("woodpecker"), from Proto-Germanic *spihtaz, *spihtōn, *spiha- (“woodpecker”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pīk(ʷ)- (“a kind of bird”). Cognate with Dutch specht ("woodpecker"), German Specht ("woodpecker"), Danish spætte ("woodpecker"), Latin pīcus ("woodpecker"), Ancient Greek πῑπώ (pīpoú, "woodpecker").

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Examples

  • I often spell it as "speight", or a Cockney or an Australian might pronounce it as "spite".

    Evening Mail news round-up 2010

  • The other key strand to the story describes a 35 year old murder case, mirrored in a new speight of prostitute killings.

    unknown title 2011

  • The other key strand to the story describes a 35 year old murder case, mirrored in a new speight of prostitute killings.

    unknown title 2011

  • The other key strand to the story describes a 35 year old murder case, mirrored in a new speight of prostitute killings.

    unknown title 2011

  • The other key strand to the story describes a 35 year old murder case, mirrored in a new speight of prostitute killings.

    unknown title 2011

  • Not a new debate so its all been said before - as in comment from christina speight.

    Epolitix News 2010

  • Not a new debate so its all been said before - as in comment from christina speight.

    Epolitix News 2010

  • Not a new debate so its all been said before - as in comment from christina speight.

    Epolitix News 2010

  • Not a new debate so its all been said before - as in comment from christina speight.

    Epolitix News 2010

  • Not a new debate so its all been said before - as in comment from christina speight.

    Epolitix News 2010

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