any rodentlike mammal of the genus Lepus, of the family Leporidae, having long ears, a divided upper lip, and long hind limbs adapted for leaping.
any of the larger species of this genus, as distinguished from certain of the smaller ones known as rabbits.
any of various similar animals of the same family.
Astronomy. Hare, the constellation Lepus.
the player pursued in the game of hare and hounds.
any solitary leporid mammal of the genus Lepus, such as L. europaeus ( European hare ). Hares are larger than rabbits, having longer ears and legs, and live in shallow nests (forms)
informal to defeat someone completely
to be on good terms with both sides
Sir David. born 1947, British dramatist and theatre director: his plays include Plenty (1978), Pravda (with Howard Brenton, 1985), The Secret Rapture (1989), Racing Demon (1990), The Permanent Way (2003), and Stuff Happens (2004)
William. 19th century, Irish murderer and bodysnatcher: associate of William Burke
What’s the difference between hares and rabbits? Hares and rabbits are both rodentlike mammals in the Leporidae family, but they’re two different species. They look similar, with long ears and large hind legs that make them great jumpers and fast runners. One main difference is that hares are bigger than rabbits. They also appear much differently at birth. Hares are born furry, open-eyed, and ready to run. Rabbits, however, are born without fur and are unable to see at first. To protect their helpless kits or kittens (you can call them bunnies but that’s not a technical term), rabbits dig underground burrows. Hares, on the other hand, build shallow nests in the grass. So, the bigger it is, the more likely it is to be a hare. If it has a burrow underground, it’s a rabbit. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hares and rabbits.
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hara; cognate with Danish hare; akin to German Hase “hare,” Old English hasu “gray”
Hares are animals that are closely related to rabbits but larger, with longer ears and hind legs. Remember the overconfident animal that lost a race against a tortoise in Aesop's famous fable? That was a hare! Hares and rabbits look very similar, but they're completely different species. Rabbits burrow, while hares stay above ground and give birth in nests in the grass. Unlike rabbits, hares are furry when they're born and able to see and move around independently. Their diets are even different — rabbits like grasses and vegetables, while hares dine on twigs and bark. And while you can keep a rabbit as a pet, hares haven't been domesticated.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That motto, and the company’s approach, has led some to call Blue Origin the tortoise to SpaceX’s hare.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Forbes calls that “the tortoise and hare approach.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
One party source describes it as "tortoise and hare - maybe one day Ed will even dress up as a tortoise".
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Pliny the Elder judged that the hare “is born to be all creatures’ prey.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
The hare slapped his “injured” leg, winced, then laughed aloud.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Visiting The Hare pub in Harlow east of London, Burnham said the cut was a "first" but "important" step.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Jennifer Hare, who runs one of the organisations based in the building, said they hoped to raise £250,000 by September and get the rest from funding organisations.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
“She has the best of the English and the best of the American traditions,” Hare told the outlet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
Paul Hare, a former British ambassador to Cuba and Venezuela, argued that Cuban intelligence underestimated US access to "insider cooperation in Venezuela" -- an informant within Maduro's camp.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
It was a select group, an elite group, a great number of us being Fort Hare graduates; we were far from a mass movement.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
As Apple plays the tortoise role—slow and steady wins the race—the sprint between the two hares is what’s captivating investors.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
Musk oxen and snowshoe hares inhabit the base perimeter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
The comparison concluded that bones from red foxes; bobcats, mountain lions, lynx or the American cheetah; and hares or rabbits were used to make needles at the LaPrele site.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2024
"As it happens, we didn't get to see any hares boxing that morning, but Mr Pheasant making this appearance really made up for it."
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2024
He knew that hares, when overtaken, dodge by turning more quickly and neatly than the pursuing dog and doubling back on their track.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
But, once again, the game squirmed free of their grasp as Len Ikitau got away from Ollie Sleightholme and Australia's replacement wing Max Jorgensen gleefully hared into the corner.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2024
He picked himself up and hared off in pursuit of Carapaz, bashing on his displaced left-brake lever as he descended, trying to hammer it back straight on his handlebars.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 17, 2020
Dickson reminds us that when Wen Jiabao, then China’s premier, came to England in 2011, he flew first to a small airport outside Birmingham and hared off to Stratford to pay homage.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2016
Darmian hared down the right and pinged the ball across the face of goal!
From The Guardian ● Nov. 25, 2015
When I arrove I found the east room chock full includin all the old maids in the villige & the long hared fellers a4sed.
From The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and Letters by Ward, Artemus
There was barely a time in this Test when Siraj was not bowling, haring in with the pavilion behind him.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2025
Whether haring down a treacherous Tour de France descent, or bunny hopping up sandy terrain, multi-eventer Pidcock is filling the void left by Britain's millennial cycling superstars.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2024
Those jurors will be taken to Carroll County from that county for the trial, which is scheduled for March but unlikely to occur before the fall, Gull said at the haring.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2023
In the previous round, the Reds won 2-0 away at Internazionale, only for the Italian champions to come haring back at them at Anfield.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 13, 2022
Merlyn said, “I beg your pardon. I am not haring a very good day today, and there it is.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
