hare

[ hair ]

/ hɛər /

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noun, plural hares, (especially collectively) hare.

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.

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

any of various similar animals of the same family.

Hare, Astronomy. the constellation Lepus.

the player pursued in the game of hare and hounds.

verb (used without object), hared, har·ing.

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.

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There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about hare

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

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

hair, hare

Words nearby hare

hardworking, hardy, hardy ageratum, hard yards, Hardy-Weinberg law, hare, hare and hounds, harebell, harebrained, hareem, Hare Krishna

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

HARE VS. RABBIT

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.

Quiz yourself on hare vs. rabbit!

True or False?

Rabbits burrow underground.

How to use hare in a sentence

The hares are Ravenswood’s peakers, engines derived from the fuel-gulping jets on airliners, which, like similar systems around the United States, can spin up quickly to meet demand spikes.
At New York City’s biggest power plant, a switch to clean energy will help a neighborhood breathe easier|Andrew Blum|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
Anecdotally, I’ve seen the Tracksmith logo—Eliot, a mini golden hare named after the long-shuttered runner’s bar in Boston—become increasingly ubiquitous in the New York City running scene.
Tracksmith Made Running Culture Something You Can Buy|Martin Fritz Huber|January 11, 2021|Outside Online
It also supports muskoxen, Arctic wolves, foxes, hares, migrating waterfowl, and porcupine caribou, which calve there.
The Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies—but none may bite|By Scott L. Montgomery/The Conversation|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
As a result of this stretching, the tortoise was now 2 miles ahead of the hare, who remained at the starting line.
Are You A Pinball Wizard?|Zach Wissner-Gross|July 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

As long as the hare started running the moment the tortoise completed 20 percent of the race, they’d finish together.
Are You A Pinball Wizard?|Zach Wissner-Gross|July 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The Krishna Movement stresses continual silent chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra in order to keep the mind focused on God.
When Gary Wright Met George Harrison: Dream Weaver, John and Yoko, and More|Gary Wright|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tortoise disqualified for technical reasons, first place awarded to Sputnik hare.
Why Does the USA Depend on Russian Rockets to Get Us Into Space?|P. J. O’Rourke|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pheasant calls for Pommard, while songbirds and hare lend themselves to aged Bordeaux or a light Gevrey.
The Queen of the French Kitchen|Katie Baker|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her support for the Countryside Alliance did see her plead guilty to attending a hare coursing event in 2007.
The Week in Death: Clarissa Dickson Wright, One of ‘Two Fat Ladies’|The Telegraph|March 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the hare finds a solution with the perfect Christmas gift.
The Seven Most Heartwarming Ads of 2013|Natasha Bach|December 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Poor Anastatia, as a hare nestles in its form, had almost shrunk beneath the bed-clothes.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
He had run with the hare and hunted with the hounds, and neither party could charge him with any lack of loyalty.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
It was no brash idea, no hare-brained impulse concocted in one's cups, perhaps.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Well, the light come in the sky, and I separates from my mates, for I sees the owd dorg put up a hare and coorse her.
The Chequers|James Runciman
Wild animals were also bred for food in similar preserves, the hare and the wild boar being the favorites.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for hare (1 of 3)

hare

/ (hɛə) /

noun plural hares or hare

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

make a hare of someone Irish informal to defeat someone completely

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

verb

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

Derived forms of hare

harelike, adjective

Word Origin for hare

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

British Dictionary definitions for hare (2 of 3)

Hare¹

/ (hɛə) /

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)

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

British Dictionary definitions for hare (3 of 3)

Hare²

/ (hɛə) /

noun

a member of a Dene Native Canadian people of northern Canada

Word Origin for Hare

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).

hare

Idioms about hare

Origin of hare

OTHER WORDS FROM hare

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH hare

Words nearby hare

HARE VS. RABBIT

What’s the difference between hares and rabbits?

Quiz yourself on hare vs. rabbit!

Words related to hare

How to use hare in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hare (1 of 3)

Derived forms of hare

Word Origin for hare

British Dictionary definitions for hare (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for hare (3 of 3)

Word Origin for Hare

Other Idioms and Phrases with hare