A peckerwood is a rural white southerner, usually poor, undereducated or otherwise ignorant and bigoted, the term gained popularity in the deep south during the early twentieth century and was meant to be derogatory. It is a reversal of the name of the red bellied woodpecker which had a patch of red on the back of it’s head and neck, therefore a peckerwood is a redneck, terms that describe similar groups of people are trailer trash or white trash but neither of those have the same effect or ring to them as peckerwood does.
From: "Peckerwood Nation" www.dailykos.com \storyonly/2006/6/28/181447/773
That man was a true peckerwood, born and raised.

by Bry Hink November 25, 2006
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a racial name for white people , like cracker and peckerwood. A name used by other races to name a white person.
by horuspeckerwood April 14, 2018
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Racist term for white man. honkey, whitey, cracker
All these peckerwoods tryin' to hold a brotha down.
by Tim June 17, 2006
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In prison, a white guy who will put up a fight.
On the inside, you're either a white boy, or a peckerwood.
by Envenible February 21, 2009
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A word that describes ignorant loud mouth, unclassy, rural class whites. They also have the tendency being racist toward most races and are uneducated and misinformed.
Damn dog, that dude is acting like peckerwood, being a loud mouth and shit. He is speaking ignorant about African Americans too. What a racist!!
by Sadeek ameen October 15, 2013
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Usually used as a way to describe white guys who aren't afraid to fight in prison.
"Those Aryan Brotherhood boys are some real peckerwoods, not like the punk that just moved in my cell."
by Woody14 March 20, 2007
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