hare

[ hair ]
See synonyms for hare on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural hares, (especially collectively) hare.
  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.

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

  2. Hare, Astronomy. the constellation Lepus.

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

verb (used without object),hared, har·ing.
  1. Chiefly British. to go, run, or proceed swiftly, suddenly, or impulsively; rush; speed; take off: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 about hare

  1. hare off, to change course or shift one’s attention suddenly or impulsively; veer off (often followed by after):Adhering to a challenging summer book list will keep me from haring off after every new beach read that catches my eye.

Origin of hare

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hara; cognate with Danish hare; akin to German Hase “hare,” Old English hasu “gray”

Other words from hare

  • hare·like, adjective

Words that may be confused with hare

Words Nearby hare

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hare in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hare (1 of 3)

hare

/ (hɛə) /


nounplural hares or hare
  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): Related adjective: leporine

  2. make a hare of someone Irish informal to defeat someone completely

  1. run with the hare and hunt with the hounds to be on good terms with both sides

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

Origin of hare

1
Old English hara; related to Old Norse heri, Old High German haso, Swedish hare, Sanskrit śaśá

Derived forms of hare

  • harelike, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Hare (2 of 3)

Hare1

/ (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

British Dictionary definitions for Hare (3 of 3)

Hare2

/ (hɛə) /


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

Origin of Hare

3
of Athapascan origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with hare

hare

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.