13 definitions found for rabbit

Rabbit RAB'BIT, n.
A small quadruped of the genus Lepus, which feeds on grass or other herbage, and burrows in the earth. The rabbit is said to be less sagacious than the hare. It is a very prolific animal, and is kept in warrens for the sake of its flesh.

rabbit n 1: any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food [syn: rabbit, coney, cony] 2: the fur of a rabbit [syn: lapin, rabbit] 3: flesh of any of various rabbits or hares (wild or domesticated) eaten as food [syn: rabbit, hare] v 1: hunt rabbits

rabbit - murdaf

rabbit 14c., from Fr. dialect (cf. Walloon rob?te), dim. of Flem. or M.Du. robbe "rabbit," of unknown origin. Originally in Eng. used of the young only; the adult was a cony until 18c. "Zoologically speaking, there are no native rabbits in the United States; they are all hares. But the early colonists, for some unknown reason, dropped the word hare out of their vocabulary, and it is rarely heard in American speech to this day. When it appears it is almost always applied to the so-called Belgian hare, which, curiously enough, is not a hare at all, but a true rabbit." [Mencken]

rabbit ˈræbɪt See: JACK-RABBIT START.

rabbit I. noun (plural rabbit or rabbits) Usage: often attributive Etymology: 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 Date: 14th century 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. Welsh rabbit 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 II. intransitive verb Date: 1846 to hunt rabbits • rabbiter noun

rabbit
n. & v.
--n.
1 a any of various burrowing gregarious plant-eating mammals of the hare family, esp. Oryctolagus cuniculus, with long ears and a short tail, varying in colour from brown in the wild to black and white, and kept as a pet or for meat. b US a hare. c the fur of the rabbit.
2 Brit. colloq. a poor performer in any sport or game.
--v.intr. (rabbited, rabbiting)
1 hunt rabbits.
2 (often foll. by on, away) Brit. colloq. talk excessively or pointlessly; chatter (rabbiting on about his holiday).
Phrases and idioms:
rabbit punch a short chop with the edge of the hand to the nape of the neck. rabbit warren an area in which rabbits have their burrows, or are kept for meat etc.
Derivatives:
rabbity adj.
Etymology: ME perh. f. OF: cf. F dial. rabotte, Walloon robète, Flem. robbe

rabbit (rabbits, rabbiting, rabbited) A rabbit is a small furry animal with long ears. Rabbits are sometimes kept as pets, or live wild in holes in the ground. N-COUNT

rabbit ˈræbɪt n. & v. --n. 1 a any of various burrowing gregarious plant-eating mammals of the hare family, esp. Oryctolagus cuniculus, with long ears and a short tail, varying in colour from brown in the wild to black and white, and kept as a pet or for meat. b US a hare. c the fur of the rabbit. 2 Brit. colloq. a poor performer in any sport or game. --v.intr. (rabbited, rabbiting) 1 hunt rabbits. 2 (often foll. by on, away) Brit. colloq. talk excessively or pointlessly; chatter (rabbiting on about his holiday). ørabbit punch a short chop with the edge of the hand to the nape of the neck. rabbit warren an area in which rabbits have their burrows, or are kept for meat etc. øørabbity adj. [ME perh. f. OF: cf. F dial. rabotte, Walloon robëte, Flem. robbe]

RABBIT A Welch rabbit; bread and cheese toasted, i.e. a Welch rare bit. Rabbits were also a sort of wooden canns to drink out of, now out of use.

Rabbit Rab"bit, n. [OE. abet, akin to OD. robbe, robbeken.] (Zo["o]l.) Any of the smaller species of the genus Lepus, especially the common European species (Lepus cuniculus), which is often kept as a pet, and has been introduced into many countries. It is remarkably prolific, and has become a pest in some parts of Australia and New Zealand. Note: The common American rabbit (L. sylvalica) is similar but smaller. See Cottontail, and Jack rabbit, under 2d Jack. The larger species of Lepus are commonly called hares. See Hare. Angora rabbit (Zo["o]l.), a variety of the domestic rabbit having long, soft fur. Rabbit burrow, a hole in the earth made by rabbits for shelter and habitation. Rabbit fish. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The northern chim[ae]ra (Chim[ae]ra monstrosa). (b) Any one of several species of plectognath fishes, as the bur fish, and puffer. The term is also locally applied to other fishes. Rabbits' ears. (Bot.) See Cyclamen.

rabbit n. Cony (Lepus cuniculus).

21 Moby Thesaurus words for "rabbit": Belgian hare, Chiroptera, Hydra, Lagomorpha, Primates, Rodentia, buck, bunny, cottontail, doe, hare, hotbed, jackrabbit, lapin, leporide, leveret, milk cow, mustard, rich soil, seed plot, warren