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• hare
  hare

  noun

  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.
• Hare
  Hare

  noun

  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)

hare

American  

[hair] / hɛər /

noun

• hares,
  plural
• hare
  plural

1. 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.

2. any of the larger species of this genus, as distinguished from certain of the smaller ones known as rabbits.

3. any of various similar animals of the same family.

4. Astronomy. Hare, the constellation Lepus.

5. the player pursued in the game of hare and hounds.

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verb (used without object)

• hares,
  present (3rd person singular)
• hared,
  past participle,  past
• haring
  present participle

1. Chiefly British. to go, run, or proceed swiftly, suddenly, or impulsively; rush; speed; take off: The young forward instantly spotted the opportunity and hared in to put the ball into the net.

   What if someone came haring around the corner on a moped?

   The young forward instantly spotted the opportunity and hared in to put the ball into the net.

idioms

1. hare off, to change course or shift one’s attention suddenly or impulsively; veer off (often followed byafter ).

   Adhering to a challenging summer book list will keep me from haring off after every new beach read that catches my eye.

hare ¹ British  

/ hɛə /

noun

1. 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)

2. informal to defeat someone completely

3. to be on good terms with both sides

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verb

1. informal (intr; often foll by off, after, etc) to go or run fast or wildly

Hare ² British  

/ hɛə /

noun

1. 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)

2. William. 19th century, Irish murderer and bodysnatcher: associate of William Burke

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Hare ³ British  

/ hɛə /

noun

1. a member of a Dene Native Canadian people of northern Canada

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hare More Idioms  

1. see mad as a hatter (March hare); run with (the hare).

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• harelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hare
  plural
• hares
  plural

Participles

• haring
  present
• hared
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• hare
  simple
• hares
  simple
• have hared
  perfect
• has hared
  perfect
• am haring
  progressive
• are haring
  progressive
• is haring
  progressive
• have been haring
  perfect progressive
• has been haring
  perfect progressive

Past

• hared
  simple
• had hared
  perfect
• was haring
  progressive
• were haring
  progressive
• had been haring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will hare
  simple
• will have hared
  perfect
• will be haring
  progressive
• will have been haring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hare

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hara; cognate with Danish hare; akin to German Hase “hare,” Old English hasu “gray”

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hare Hare hares hared haring

The buxom stall-owner lifts a furry, giant hare, its dead eyes glazed, as a primly dressed female customer offers coins in payment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

South Wales Police confirmed the Vale of Glamorgan was seeing an increase in hare coursing, and said the force was taking action.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Police say this cash funds the prize money and covers expenses, such as a pool of vehicles and even court costs in case the hare coursers are raided.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Forbes calls that “the tortoise and hare approach.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

Matthias guessed that they were off somewhere, still trying to catch the elusive hare.

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

“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

"You would never want to simply jump on a video call with someone and transfer $25m," says Stephanie Hare, a tech researcher and co-presenter of the BBC's AI Decoded TV programme.

From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026

Hare says the proliferation of deepfake attacks means that people with the skills to combat fraudsters are in high demand.

From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026

Just out of reach across the fence on the common land stood Basil Stag Hare, in the “at ease” position.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

"I don't want to see an impact on farming or hares that are around here at the moment," Milton said.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

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

These comparisons show that the Neanderthal diet in these regions relied heavily on deer, horses and hares, along with marine and coastal foods, pointing to a wide-ranging and adaptable approach to gathering resources.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2025

Musk oxen and snowshoe hares inhabit the base perimeter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025

And the strange arctic hares that stand on their back legs to see better are all over the place.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

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

A loose square pass from Otamendi just inside his own half went to Vardy, who rode a couple of tackles and hared straight towards the penalty area as the last man Laporte backpedalled.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 10, 2018

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

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 Artemus Ward

Broady was haring in, sharing a few words, going chest to chest and wanting to show he was a top young player.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2023

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

A final defender comes haring across, all pumping thighs and straining arms.

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2022

Wolves were all over City, Podence haring though again but scooping a showy finish on to the roof of the net.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 21, 2020

"The gods help this potboy if he's sent me off haring after shadows."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin