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cottontail

American  
[kot-n-teyl] / ˈkɒt nˌteɪl /

noun

  1. any small North American rabbit of the genus Sylvilagus, having a brownish coat and fluffy white tail.

cottontail British  
/ ˈkɒtənˌteɪl /

noun

  1. any of several common rabbits of the genus Sylvilagus, such as S. floridanus ( eastern cottontail ), of American woodlands

"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

Etymology

Origin of cottontail

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; cotton + tail 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tourani points to the eastern cottontail as an example.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023

The same study found that marsh and cottontail rabbits and foxes had disappeared from the area.

From Washington Post • Feb. 18, 2023

It is larger than several U.S. states, and home to 130,000 people and countless bobcats, beavers, muskrats and cottontail rabbits.

From Reuters • Aug. 12, 2022

Mellow winters, a few early rains to get the greenery going, then warm and dry spring months — that’s good cottontail weather.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2022

And as much as I loved holding a cottontail in my arms and rubbing its soft fur with my cheek, I loved it even more in a stew with a few carrots.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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.