woodpecker n.
1. (UK Und.) in a crooked gambling game, the accomplice who urges on the victim, helping him by providing a succession of small stakes.
![]() | Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 3: He that stands by & Ventures, is the Woodpecker. | |
![]() | New plot newly discovered 4: The Forlorne-Hope doth gallantly come on, the Eagle feathers his nest, the Wood-pecker picks up his crumbs, the Gull-groper grows fat [...] and the Gull himself [has] scarce enough to keep his back warm . | |
![]() | Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Woodpecker c. a Bystander that bets. | |
![]() | New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698]. | |
, , , | ![]() | Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698]. |
, , | ![]() | Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. |
![]() | Lex. Balatronicum. | |
![]() | Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. |
2. (US Und.) a typist.
![]() | DAUL 238/2: Woodpecker. A typist. | et al.
3. (US/Aus.) a machine-gun [the tapping noise].
![]() | Aus. First and Last 107: There the ‘woodpecker’ rapped out a melody; our Bren’s reply was terse. | ‘Duel at Dawn’|
![]() | He who Shoots Last 225: ‘Dat ain’t no woodpecker.’ ‘Da lousy bludgers is usin’ a jazz gun on us. All we has got is a .45. It ain’t sportin’.’. |
4. (W.I.) a district police officer [the red stripes on their uniform, reminiscent of the bird’s colouring].
![]() | cited in Dict. Jam. Eng. (1980). |