rabbit

1 of 2

noun

rab·​bit ˈra-bət How to pronounce rabbit (audio)
plural rabbit or rabbits
often attributive
1
: any of a family (Leporidae) of long-eared short-tailed lagomorph mammals with long hind legs:
a
: any of various lagomorphs that are born furless, blind, and helpless, that are sometimes gregarious, and that include especially the cottontails of the New World and a small Old World mammal (Oryctolagus cuniculus) that is the source of various domestic breeds
b
: hare
2
: the pelt of a rabbit
3
4
a
: a figure of a rabbit sped mechanically along the edge of a dog track as an object of pursuit
b
: a runner in a long-distance race who sets a fast pace for the field in the first part of the race
rabbity adjective

rabbit

2 of 2

verb

rabbited; rabbiting; rabbits
rabbiter noun

Examples of rabbit in a Sentence

Noun We keep rabbits as pets.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Autumn Schrader, 5, triumphantly carried her bright white cat named Super Nova, an 11-month-old Himalayan Persian, nearly the size of Autumn and dressed as a bunny rabbit, through the crowd after receiving the first-place ribbon. Nhat V. Meyer, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 Grey herons, tawny owls, bats, seagulls, groundhogs, badgers, rabbits and even the occasional fox or boar from the suburbs have been treated at the hospital. Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Torcello has been trying to trap more rabbits that pop up on his property in the meantime. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 The opera begins with Mary recounting a little fable about a fox and a rabbit. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Ambesonne Men’s Tie View On Amazon $23 This tie features rabbits—sitting, standing, and running—all across the tie in a neutral gray shade that gives a classic storybook look. Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2024 The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals—the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig—that alternate every Lunar New Year. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 There will likely also be some rabbit and deer on the menu — animals hunted both in southwest Missouri, where Gomez lives, and in Hidalgo. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2024 The contest was sponsored by the makers of Cat’s Pride kitty litter but was open to photos of all types of pets, including dogs, goats and rabbits. Cynthia Hubert, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024
Verb
Savory pies filled with meat, poultry, cheese, spinach, tomatoes, even rabbit. Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 17 May 2023 Researchers have found changes to rabbit brains that may explain why your pet bunny is so snuggly. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 June 2018 But more than just links to click or rabbit holes to follow, Bagley also got some actual leads on bikes after making her post. The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2022 Try anything from pork to rabbit on a spit, or go all out with a steak. Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2021 From about $110 a night, alpiccoloscoglio.it Eating There Ristorante la Cucina di Nonna Nina, near San Rocco Church, is an unpretentious trattoria dedicated to Ligurian classics such as fish ravioli and rabbit with olives and pine-nuts. Adam H. Graham, WSJ, 28 May 2021 The hood and shoulders are reinforced with durable, water-repelling fabric, which comes in handy for late-season upland or rabbit hunts. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 18 Nov. 2020 Writing for Citius Mag, former University of Oregon runner Daniel Winn explains how to effectively rabbit a race. oregonlive, 9 Mar. 2020 One study concludes that rising temperatures will drive the volcano rabbits higher into the mountains, perhaps by 2,300 feet over the next century, further shrinking their range. National Geographic, 23 Jan. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rabbit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English rabet, probably from Middle French dialect (Walloon) robett, from obsolete or dialect Dutch robbe, robbeken; probably akin to Middle Low German robbe seal, East Frisian rubben to scratch, rub — more at rub

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rabbit was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rabbit

Cite this Entry

“Rabbit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rabbit. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rabbit

noun
rab·​bit
ˈrab-ət
plural rabbit or rabbits
: any of various small burrowing mammals with long ears and short tails that differ from the related hares especially in being born with the eyes closed and without fur
also : the pelt of a rabbit
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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