English Explanatory Dictionary

peckerwood

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A woodpecker.
  2. A peckerwood sawmill.
  3. A white person, especially a Southerner, or one who is ignorant, rustic, or bigoted.
  4. A white (male) inmate, especially one who is racist or who is a member of a race-based prison gang.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɛkɚwʊd/ /ˈpɛkəwʊd/ En-au-peckerwood.ogg

Word forms

peckerwood peckerwoods peckawood

Etymology

Inversion of woodpecker. Application to white people is due to the perception that the woodpecker is a symbol of whites, whereas the crow or blackbird is a symbol of blacks.

Synonyms

white person redneck

Related words

peckerhead

Derived words

featherwood wood woodpile
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