Definition of 'rabbit'

COBUILD frequency band

rabbit

(ræbɪt

)

Word forms: plural rabbits

countable noun

A rabbit is a small, furry animal with long ears. Rabbits are sometimes kept as pets, or live wild in holes in the ground.

More Synonyms of rabbit

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rabbit in American English

(ˈræbɪt )

nounWord forms: plural rabbits or rabbitOrigin: ME rabette, young of the cony, prob. < MFr dial. rabotte < MDu robbe, Fl robbe

any of various swift, burrowing mammals (order Lagomorpha), smaller than most hares and characterized by soft fur, long ears, a stubby tail, and the bearing of naked young

: see hare

the fur of a rabbit

3. loosely

any hare

4. short for Welsh rabbit

5. track and field

a runner who, early in the race, sets a fast pace, as to spur on teammates or exhaust a strong competitor

verb intransitive

to hunt rabbits

7. British, informal

to talk continuously about unimportant matters; ramble [often with on]

8. informal

to depart quickly; escape; flee

Derived forms

rabbity (ˈræbɪti )

adjective

COBUILD frequency band

rabbit in American English

(ˈræbɪt)

nounWord forms: plural -bits or esp collectively for 1–3 -bit

any of several soft-furred, large-eared, rodentlike burrowing mammals of the family Leporidae, allied with the hares and pikas in the order Lagomorpha, having a divided upper lip and long hind legs, usually smaller than the hares and mainly distinguished from them by bearing blind and furless young in nests rather than fully developed young in the open

any of various small hares

the fur of a rabbit or hare, often processed to imitate another fur

4. See Welsh rabbit

a runner in a distance race whose goal is chiefly to set a fast pace, either to exhaust a particular rival so that a teammate can win or to help another entrant break a record; pacesetter

6. Brit informal

a person who is poor at sports, esp. golf, tennis, or cricket

7. See pull a rabbit out of the hat

Derived forms

rabbitlike or rabbity

adjective

Word origin

[1375–1425; late ME rabet(te) young rabbit, bunny, prob. ‹ ONF; cf. Walloon robett, dial. D robbe]

COBUILD frequency band

rabbit in British English

(ˈræbɪt

)

nounWord forms: plural -bits or -bit

any of various common gregarious burrowing leporid mammals, esp Oryctolagus cuniculus of Europe and North Africa and the cottontail of America. They are closely related and similar to hares but are smaller and have shorter ears

the fur of such an animal

3. British informal

a novice or poor performer at a game or sport

verb

4. (intransitive)

to hunt or shoot rabbits

5. (intr; often foll by on or away) British informal

to talk inconsequentially; chatter

Word origin

C14: perhaps from Walloon robett, diminutive of Flemish robbe rabbit, of obscure origin; sense 5 from rhyming slang rabbit and pork talk

Examples of 'rabbit' in a sentence
rabbit

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The rabbits were not the only miners here. Students seeing ideas for the first time can be like rabbits in the headlights.They began breeding rabbits and digging fish ponds.Don't call it a bunny rabbit.It was bright sunshine and blue sky, and we had about three rabbits.He made rabbit liver and kidney on toast followed by a rabbit stew. Animals from rabbits to cattle eat them.This year my garden has become overrun with wild rabbits from the field next door.I have felt like one of those poor rabbits when the snake is writhing towards it.I like to use a hat that combines rabbit fur with fabric.