hare

[ hair ]

noun

, plural hares, (especially collectively) hare.

1. any rodentlike mammal of the genus Lepus, of the family Leporidae, having long ears, a divided upper lip, and long hind limbs adapted for leaping.
2. any of the larger species of this genus, as distinguished from certain of the smaller ones known as rabbits.
3. any of various similar animals of the same family.
4. Hare, Astronomy. the constellation Lepus.
5. the player pursued in the game of hare and hounds.

verb (used without object)

, hared, har·ing.

1. Chiefly British. to go, run, or proceed swiftly, suddenly, or impulsively; rush; speed; take off: The young forward instantly spotted the opportunity and hared in to put the ball into the net.

   What if someone came haring around the corner on a moped?

   The young forward instantly spotted the opportunity and hared in to put the ball into the net.

Hare

¹

/ hɛə /

noun

1. a member of a Dene Native Canadian people of northern Canada

hare

²

/ hɛə /

noun

1. any solitary leporid mammal of the genus Lepus, such as L. europaeus ( European hare ). Hares are larger than rabbits, having longer ears and legs, and live in shallow nests (forms) leporine
2. make a hare of someone informal.
   to defeat someone completely
3. run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
   to be on good terms with both sides

verb

1. informal.
   intr; often foll by off, after, etc to go or run fast or wildly

Hare

³

/ hɛə /

noun

1. HareSir David1947MBritishTHEATRE: dramatistTHEATRE: theatre director Sir David. born 1947, British dramatist and theatre director: his plays include Plenty (1978), Pravda (with Howard Brenton, 1985), The Secret Rapture (1989), Racing Demon (1990), The Permanent Way (2003), and Stuff Happens (2004)
2. HareWilliam19th century19th centuryMIrishCRIME AND POLICING: murdererCRIME AND POLICING: bodysnatcher William. 19th century, Irish murderer and bodysnatcher: associate of William Burke

Derived Forms

• ˈhareˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• hare·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hare¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hara; cognate with Danish hare; akin to German Hase “hare,” Old English hasu “gray”

Word History and Origins

Origin of hare¹

of Athapascan origin

Origin of hare²

Old English hara; related to Old Norse heri, Old High German haso, Swedish hare, Sanskrit śaśá

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hare off, to change course or shift one’s attention suddenly or impulsively; veer off (often followed by after ):

   Adhering to a challenging summer book list will keep me from haring off after every new beach read that catches my eye.

More idioms and phrases containing hare

see mad as a hatter (March hare) ; run with (the hare) .

Example Sentences

Pip Hare, 50, was born in Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire and grew up in Suffolk - where she learned to sail on the River Deben.

From BBC

Her food has been entirely prepared by her team and Hare will eat between 3,500 and 4,500 calories a day.

From BBC

When asked what she would do about sleeping, Hare said: "You sleep for about 20 minutes and maybe in the southern ocean when there's no traffic around and the weather is very stable you might be able to sleep for an hour or an hour and a half."

From BBC

Hare said she was often asked if she got lonely during her sailing.

From BBC

Telling the story as a musical is "the best way of accessing the heartache and the torment and the isolation" of the victims, co-writer Jeanie O'Hare told BBC News.

From BBC