bunny

[ buhn-ee ]

noun

, plural bun·nies.

1. Informal. a rabbit, especially a small or young one.
2. Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. a pretty, appealing, or alluring young woman, often one ostensibly engaged in a sport or similar activity:

   beach bunny; ski bunny.

3. Chiefly British. a squirrel.
4. Australian and New Zealand Slang. a person imposed upon or made a fool of; victim.

adjective

1. designed for or used by beginners in skiing:

   a bunny slope.

bunny

/ ˈbʌnɪ /

noun

1. See rabbit
   Also calledbunny rabbit a child's word for rabbit
2. Also calledbunny girl a night-club hostess whose costume includes rabbit-like tail and ears
3. informal.
   a mug; dupe
4. slang.
   a devotee of a specified pastime or activity

   gym bunny

   disco bunny

5. slang.
   talk, esp when inconsequential; chatter
6. not a happy bunny slang.
   not a happy bunny deeply dissatisfied or discontented

Sensitive Note

The meaning “pretty woman” is sometimes used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting. For instance, a beach bunny is an alluring female who frequents the beach only to meet male surfers. But bunny was originally (and still is) used as a term of endearment for a girl or young woman.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bunny¹

1600–10, Americanism; dial. bun (tail of a) hare or rabbit, in Scots: buttocks (< Scots Gaelic bun bottom) + -y ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of bunny¹

C17: from Scottish Gaelic bun scut of a rabbit

Example Sentences

It needn’t be in the backcountry, and the bunny slope and cross-country trails totally count toward your season total.

From Outside Online

She’s like, you already know you can shoot it, so, you know, let’s work on being more of a power forward, getting those easy bunnies.

From FiveThirtyEight

Paige my makeup artist suggested a bunny and we just ran with it.

From Essence.com

Greco led a tour of the production lines, where workers in clean-room bunny suits operated machinery.

From Fortune

He bunny-hops onto the kitchen table, his mom smiling indulgently.

From Outside Online

And likewise the Easter bunny, a bizarre pagan myth if ever one there was.

From The Daily Beast

One Love notwithstanding, on the night of the gig, Bunny demanded his £10,000 fee in cash before he would take to the stage.

From The Daily Beast

A pioneering photographer in the 1950s, Bunny Yeager discovered the iconic Bettie Page and helped establish pin-ups.

From The Daily Beast

Bunny Yeager had her hand in all that was titillating in the 1950s: nude photo shoots, bikini swimsuits, and Playboy centerfolds.

From The Daily Beast

Eventually I gave way to Bunny's insistence and lost my virginity, appropriately enough, in H.G. Wells's spare bedroom.

From The Daily Beast

He washed Lovin Child's clothes, even to the red sweater suit and the fuzzy red "bunny" cap.

From Project Gutenberg

"'If you are not a bogus Bunny you will know,'" I read, spreading the message out before me.

From Project Gutenberg

"We shall be almost as great a combination as the original Bunny," she cried, enthusiastically, when I told her of this coup.

From Project Gutenberg

Even aside from the size of the check, Bunny, it was great chasing the old man to cover.

From Project Gutenberg

"I just can't stand it for another minute, Bunny," she faltered, real tears coursing down her cheeks.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bathing beauty
• beauty queen
• cover girl
• cutie
• cutie-pie
• doll
• dollface
• fox
• glamor girl
• good-looking woman
• pin-up
• tomato