Definition of "nuthatch" []

• Any of several small, short-tailed birds of the family Sittidae, having a long sharp bill and known for climbing down trees headfirst. Also called nutcracker. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Thus secured, the nuthatch may hack the seed open with its bill hence the name nuthatch or cover it with a piece of bark or moss for a later snack."
• "The word "nuthatch" is derived from the fondness of the Eurasian species for hazel nuts."
• ""nuthatch," a word that gives an erroneous impression, for no bird ever hatches a nut."