jackrabbit

American  

[jak-rab-it] / ˈdʒækˌræb ɪt /

adjective

1. resembling a jack rabbit, as in suddenness or rapidity of movement.

   The car made a jackrabbit start when the traffic light turned green.

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verb (used without object)

1. to go or start forward with a rapid, sudden movement.

Etymology

Origin of jackrabbit

First recorded in 1925–30; see origin at jack rabbit

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jackrabbit

It features animals such as white-tailed deer, jackrabbit, alligator snapping turtle, lake sturgeon, blue jay and roseate spoonbill.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2021

He never was a jackrabbit and seems content with the hundreds of other ways that we show love.

From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2020

“This used to be jackrabbit heaven. There used to be sage grouse everywhere. You would find 50 sage grouse when you walked out the door. Now they are nearly extinct,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2019

One key souvenir from that mating: a jackrabbit version of agouti, the gene that normally revs up its activity and turns snowshoe fur white in the winter, the researchers report today in Science.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 21, 2018

Instead they preyed on deer, horse, antelope, jackrabbit, and, now and then, giant turtle, as well as several species of rodent.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann