Adjacent Words

Hare definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HARE, n. A quadruped of the genus Lepus, with long ears, a short tail, soft hair, and a divided upper lip. It is a timid animal, often hunted for sport or for its flesh, which is excellent food. It moves by leaps, and is remarkable for its fecundity.
1. A constellation.
HARE, v.t. To fright, or to excite, tease and harass, or worry. [Not used. See Harry.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs; young born furred and with open eyes
2: flesh of any of various rabbits or hares (wild or domesticated) eaten as food [syn: rabbit, hare] v
1: run quickly, like a hare; "He hared down the hill"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural hare or hares) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hara; akin to Old High German haso hare, Sanskrit ?a?a, Old English hasu gray Date: before 12th century any of various swift long-eared lagomorph mammals (family Leporidae and especially genus Lepus) that are usually solitary or sometimes live in pairs and have the young open-eyed and furred at birth — compare rabbit 1a II. intransitive verb (hared; haring) Date: 1719 to go swiftly ; tear III

Britannica Concise

Bounding mammal (in the family Leporidae) whose young, unlike those of rabbits, are born fully haired, with open eyes, and sufficiently advanced to hop about a few minutes after birth. The common hare (Lepus europaeus) is native to central and S Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; introduced into Australia, it has become a pest there. In N. America the jackrabbit and snowshoe hare are widespread. Many other species occur naturally on all principal landmasses except Australia. Hares have well-developed hind legs, and the ears are usually longer than the head. Species vary in length from 16 to 28 in. (40-70 cm), without the short tail. Hares in N latitudes are white in winter and grayish brown in summer; elsewhere, they are usually grayish brown year-round. Hares are primarily herbivorous.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 any of various mammals of the family Leporidae, esp. Lepus europaeus, like a large rabbit, with tawny fur, long ears, short tail, and hind legs longer than forelegs, inhabiting fields, hills, etc. 2 (in full electric hare) a dummy hare propelled by electricity, used in greyhound racing. --v.intr. run with great speed. Phrases and idioms: hare and hounds a paperchase. hare-brained rash, wild. hare's-foot (in full hare's-foot clover) a clover, Trifolium arvense, with soft hair around the flowers. run with the hare and hunt with the hounds try to remain on good terms with both sides. start a hare raise a topic of conversation. Etymology: OE hara f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hare Hare, v. t. [Cf. Harry, Harass.] To excite; to tease, or worry; to harry. [Obs.] --Locke.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hare Hare, n. [AS. hara; akin to D. haas, G. hase, OHG. haso, Dan. [ae] Sw. hare, Icel. h?ri, Skr. ?a?a. ?.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) A rodent of the genus Lepus, having long hind legs, a short tail, and a divided upper lip. It is a timid animal, moves swiftly by leaps, and is remarkable for its fecundity. Note: The species of hares are numerous. The common European hare is Lepustimidus. The northern or varying hare of America (L. Americanus), and the prairie hare (L. campestris), turn white in winter. In America, the various species of hares are commonly called rabbits. 2. (Astron.) A small constellation situated south of and under the foot of Orion; Lepus. Hare and hounds, a game played by men and boys, two, called hares, having a few minutes' start, and scattering bits of paper to indicate their course, being chased by the others, called the hounds, through a wide circuit. Hare kangaroo (Zo["o]l.)., a small Australian kangaroo (Lagorchestes Leporoides), resembling the hare in size and color, Hare's lettuce (Bot.), a plant of the genus Sonchus, or sow thistle; -- so called because hares are said to eat it when fainting with heat. --Dr. Prior. Jumping hare. (Zo["o]l.) See under Jumping. Little chief hare, or Crying hare. (Zo["o]l.) See Chief hare. Sea hare. (Zo["o]l.) See Aplysia.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(hares, haring, hared) 1. A hare is an animal like a rabbit but larger with long ears, long legs, and a small tail. N-VAR 2. If you hare off somewhere, you go there very quickly. (BRIT INFORMAL) ...an over-protective mother who keeps haring off to ring the babysitter. VERB: V adv/prep

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(Heb. 'arnebeth) was prohibited as food according to the Mosaic law (Lev. 11:6; Deut. 14:7), "because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof." The habit of this animal is to grind its teeth and move its jaw as if it actually chewed the cud. But, like the cony (q.v.), it is not a ruminant with four stomachs, but a rodent like the squirrel, rat, etc. Moses speaks of it according to appearance. It is interdicted because, though apparently chewing the cud, it did not divide the hoof.

There are two species in Syria, (1) the Lepus Syriacus or Syrian hare, which is like the English hare; and (2) the Lepus Sinaiticus, or hare of the desert. No rabbits are found in Syria.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

har ('arnebheth (Le 11:6; De 14:7); compare Arabic 'arnab, "hare"): This animal is mentioned only in the lists of unclean animals in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, Where it occurs along with the camel, the coney and the swine. The camel, the hare and the coney are unclean, `because they chew the cud but part not the hoof,' the swine, "because he parteth the hoof .... but cheweth not the cud." The hare and the coney are not ruminants, but might be supposed to be from their habit of almost continually moving their jaws. Both are freely eaten by the Arabs. Although 'arnebheth occurs only in the two places cited, there is no doubt that it is the hare. Septuagint has dasupous, "rough-footed," which, while not the commonest Greek word (lagos), refers to the remarkable fact that in hares and rabbits the soles of the feet are densely covered with hair. 'Arnab, which is the common Arabic word for "hare," is from the same root as the Hebrew 'arnebheth.

Le 11:4-7: verse 4, English Versions of the Bible "camel"; Septuagint ton kamelon; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) camelus; Hebrew ha-gamal. Le 11:5, English Versions of the Bible "coney"; Septuagint ton dasupoda; Vulgate, choerogryllus; Hebrew ha-shapan. Le 11:6, English Versions of the Bible "hare"; Septuagint ton choirogruillion Vulgate, lepus; Hebrew ha-arnebeth. Le 11:7, English Versions of the Bible "swine"; Septuagint ton hun; Vulgate, sus; Hebrew ha-chazir.

De 14:7: English Versions of the Bible "camel"; Septuagint ton kamelon Vulgate, camelum; Hebrew hagamal; English Versions of the Bible "hare"; Septuagint dasupoda; Vulgate, leporem; Hebrew ha'arnebeth; English Versions of the Bible "coney"; Septuagint choirogrullion; Vulgate, choerogryllum; Hebrew hashaphan.

De 14:8: English Versions of the Bible "swine"; Septuagint ton hun Vulgate, sus; Hebrew hacheziyr.

It is evident from the above and from the meanings of dasupous and chorogrullios as given in Liddell and Scott, that the order of Septuagint in Le 11:5,6 does not follow the Hebrew, but has apparently assimilated the order of that of De 14:7,8. In Ps 104:18, Septuagint has chorogrullios for shaphan; also in Pr 30:26.

Since the word "coney," which properly means "rabbit," has been applied to the hyrax, so, in America at least, the word "rabbit" is widely used for various species of hare, e.g. the gray rabbit and the jack-rabbit, both of which are hares. Hares have longer legs and ears and are swifter than rabbits. Their young are hairy and have their eyes open, while rabbits are born naked and blind. Hares are widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, and there is one species in South America. Rabbits are apparently native to the Western Mediterranean countries, although they have been distributed by man all over the world.

Lepus syriacus, the common hare of Syria and Palestine, differs somewhat from the European hare. Lepus judeae is cited by Tristram from Northeastern Palestine, and he also notes three other species from the extreme south.

Alfred Ely Day

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

He has swallowed a hare; he is drunk; more probably a HAIR, which requires washing down,

Moby Thesaurus

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