rabbit
Americannoun
plural
rabbits,plural
rabbit-
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.
-
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.
-
British Informal. a person who is poor at sports, especially golf, tennis, or cricket.
idioms
noun
-
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
-
informal a novice or poor performer at a game or sport
verb
-
(intr) to hunt or shoot rabbits
-
informal (intr; often foll by on or away) to talk inconsequentially; chatter
Usage
Where does rabbit come from? There's just something about the names of some of the most familiar animals. Like dog, the origin of the word rabbit is obscure. But, at least we are few hops closer to a source with rabbit than we are with dog. Found in Middle English, rabbit originally meant "young rabbit, bunny," and was most likely borrowed from a French word. Scholars point us to the Walloon robett and the dialectical Dutch robbe. But from there, it’s an etymological rabbit hole. Walloon is a French dialect chiefly spoken in southern and southeastern Belgium and neighboring regions in France. Unsure about the difference between a rabbit and a hare? We've got you covered!
Other Word Forms
- rabbitlike adjective
- rabbity adjective
Etymology
Origin of rabbit
1375–1425; late Middle English rabet ( te ) young rabbit, bunny, probably < Old North French; compare Walloon robett, dialectal Dutch robbe
Explanation
A rabbit is a small long-eared animal that is related to a hare. You can keep a rabbit as an indoor pet — just be careful, because it will chew on just about everything! Until the 1900s, an adult rabbit was called a coney, while the babies were rabets. The origin of this word, which eventually became rabbit, remains a mystery. In the wild, rabbits live in large, social groups in underground warrens. As pets, they require something to gnaw on because their teeth never stop growing and have to be regularly ground down. With their many predators, rabbits are naturally nervous, but when they're very relaxed, they purr like cats!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Adelman has put in considerable legwork to complete this book, her enthusiasm leading her occasionally down rabbit holes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Could it be that the reason I’ve fallen so far down this particular rabbit hole already is that I’m gay?
From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026
Other enthusiasts are also not put off, and with the 82-year-old as my guide, I attempted to discover just how much further down the longevity rabbit hole a person could go.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
Or am I overthinking this and going too far down the rabbit hole?
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
Years of studying the weather and diving down the rabbit hole of climate change science online had prepared her for this moment.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
