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

The hares are Ravenswood’s peakers, engines derived from the fuel-gulping jets on airliners, which, like similar systems around the United States, can spin up quickly to meet demand spikes.

From Popular-Science

Anecdotally, I’ve seen the Tracksmith logo—Eliot, a mini golden hare named after the long-shuttered runner’s bar in Boston—become increasingly ubiquitous in the New York City running scene.

From Outside Online

It also supports muskoxen, Arctic wolves, foxes, hares, migrating waterfowl, and porcupine caribou, which calve there.

From Popular-Science

As a result of this stretching, the tortoise was now 2 miles ahead of the hare, who remained at the starting line.

From FiveThirtyEight

As long as the hare started running the moment the tortoise completed 20 percent of the race, they’d finish together.

From FiveThirtyEight

The Krishna Movement stresses continual silent chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra in order to keep the mind focused on God.

From The Daily Beast

Tortoise disqualified for technical reasons, first place awarded to Sputnik hare.

From The Daily Beast

The pheasant calls for Pommard, while songbirds and hare lend themselves to aged Bordeaux or a light Gevrey.

From The Daily Beast

Her support for the Countryside Alliance did see her plead guilty to attending a hare coursing event in 2007.

From The Daily Beast

But the hare finds a solution with the perfect Christmas gift.

From The Daily Beast

Poor Anastatia, as a hare nestles in its form, had almost shrunk beneath the bed-clothes.

From Project Gutenberg

He had run with the hare and hunted with the hounds, and neither party could charge him with any lack of loyalty.

From Project Gutenberg

It was no brash idea, no hare-brained impulse concocted in one's cups, perhaps.

From Project Gutenberg

Well, the light come in the sky, and I separates from my mates, for I sees the owd dorg put up a hare and coorse her.

From Project Gutenberg

Wild animals were also bred for food in similar preserves, the hare and the wild boar being the favorites.

From Project Gutenberg

Hare Vs. Rabbit

What’s the difference between hares and rabbits?

Hares and rabbits are both rodentlike mammals in the Leporidae family, but they’re two different species.

They look similar, with long ears and large hind legs that make them great jumpers and fast runners.

One main difference is that hares are bigger than rabbits.

They also appear much differently at birth. Hares are born furry, open-eyed, and ready to run. Rabbits, however, are born without fur and are unable to see at first. To protect their helpless kits or kittens (you can call them bunnies but that’s not a technical term), rabbits dig underground burrows. Hares, on the other hand, build shallow nests in the grass.

So, the bigger it is, the more likely it is to be a hare. If it has a burrow underground, it’s a rabbit.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hares and rabbits.

Quiz yourself on hare vs. rabbit!

True or False? 

Rabbits burrow underground.