rabbit

[ rab-it ]

noun

, plural rab·bits, (especially collectively) rab·bit

1. any of several soft-furred, large-eared, rodentlike burrowing mammals of the family Leporidae, allied with the hares and pikas in the order Lagomorpha, having a divided upper lip and long hind legs, usually smaller than the hares and mainly distinguished from them by bearing blind and furless young in nests rather than fully developed young in the open.
2. any of various small hares.
3. the fur of a rabbit or hare, often processed to imitate another fur.
4. Welsh rabbit.
5. a runner in a distance race whose goal is chiefly to set a fast pace, either to exhaust a particular rival so that a teammate can win or to help another entrant break a record; pacesetter.
6. British Informal. a person who is poor at sports, especially golf, tennis, or cricket.

rabbit

/ ˈræbɪt /

noun

1. any of various common gregarious burrowing leporid mammals, esp Oryctolagus cuniculus of Europe and North Africa and the cottontail of America. They are closely related and similar to hares but are smaller and have shorter ears
2. the fur of such an animal
3. informal.
   a novice or poor performer at a game or sport

verb

1. intr to hunt or shoot rabbits
2. informal.
   intr; often foll by on or away to talk inconsequentially; chatter

Other Words From

• rabbit·like rabbit·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rabbit¹

1375–1425; late Middle English rabet ( te ) young rabbit, bunny, probably < Old North French; compare Walloon robett, dialectal Dutch robbe

Word History and Origins

Origin of rabbit¹

(senses 1-4) C14: perhaps from Walloon robett , diminutive of Flemish robbe rabbit, of obscure origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. pull a rabbit out of the hat, to find or obtain a sudden solution to a problem:

   Unless somebody pulls a rabbit out of the hat by next week, we'll be bankrupt.

More idioms and phrases containing rabbit

see pull (a rabbit) out of a hat .

Example Sentences

With Big Eyes a lot of people, myself included, were glad to see you emerge from the rabbit hole that is the CG world.

From The Daily Beast

He eventually brings his wife and children over, and later he manages a hen and rabbit farm.

From The Daily Beast

As the creator of Roger Rabbit, he eventually partnered with Walt Disney Pictures for a blockbuster animation film.

From The Daily Beast

He weighed only 185 pounds, but he had killer instincts and rabbit quickness and the stamina of a mule.

From The Daily Beast

Because when my rabbit died he was like, “Want a new rabbit?”

From The Daily Beast

Why he did that, instead of walking around on the shore, Jimmy Rabbit couldn't understand.

From Project Gutenberg

"Farmer Green sometimes places scarecrows in the cornfield," Jimmy Rabbit remarked.

From Project Gutenberg

She opened her mouth wide showing ten yellow teeth and squealed like a rabbit!

From Project Gutenberg

No wonder that Lussigny, when insulted at the tables, had sat like a tame rabbit and had sought him in the garden.

From Project Gutenberg

So Henry walked briskly through the woods, feeling sure that the noise in the night had been made by a rabbit.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bunny
• coney
• cony
• hare
• lagomorph
• lapin