nuthatch

[ nuht-hach ]

noun

1. any of numerous small, short-tailed, sharp-beaked birds of the family Sittidae that creep on trees and feed on small nuts and insects.

nuthatch

/ ˈnʌtˌhætʃ /

noun

1. any songbird of the family Sittidae, esp Sitta europaea, having strong feet and bill, and feeding on insects, seeds, and nuts

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuthatch¹

1300–50; Middle English notehache, nuthagge, nuthak, literally, nut hacker. See nut, hack ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuthatch¹

C14: notehache, from note nut + hache hatchet, from the bird's habit of splitting nuts; see nut , hack ¹

Example Sentences

Whenever a nasal honk-honk-honk alerts me that they’ve fluttered into my yard, I rush outside to watch red-breasted nuthatches scurry over tree trunks.

From Washington Post

Hence the nest of the nuthatch, unless discovered when in course of construction, is difficult to locate.

From Project Gutenberg

Now and again, as they rustled some low tree, a pewee or a nuthatch would give a startled chirp.

From Project Gutenberg

Florida White-breasted Nuthatch (atkinsi) is slightly smaller; other races are found west of the Rockies.

From Project Gutenberg

While thus engaged, I saw a White-breasted Nuthatch, with something in its - 25 - beak, alight on the trunk of a wild cherry tree.

From Project Gutenberg

The body and bill of the Nuthatch is stouter, and not such a pretty shape, and his bill almost turns up.

From Project Gutenberg