Rabbit

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹæbɪt/

Definitions

1. A small furry mammal with long ears, a short tail, and powerful hind legs, often kept as a pet or hunted for food
2. A small, leporid mammal characterized by its elongated ears and swift jumping abilities, commonly found in the wild or domesticated for companionship or meat consumption
3. This creature is a small mammal noted for its distinctive long ears, short tail, and strong hind legs, often seen in gardens or raised for agricultural purposes

Etymology: The most surprising twist is that "rabbit" once meant only a young rabbit. For centuries the general term was "cony," and English speakers used "rabbit" for the baby. Only in the 19th century did "rabbit" take over the general sense, largely because "cony" had come to sound too much like "cunny," a vulgar word for the female genitals, and was being used as a euphemism that people found awkward. The word itself came into Middle English as "rabet" or "rabette," probably from Anglo-Latin "rabettus," which in turn came from a dialect form of Old French "rabotte." That French word is likely a diminutive of a Middle Dutch word, "robbe," meaning both rabbit and seal. Its exact origin is uncertain, though it may be an imitative formation or connected to the verb "rubben," "to rub," perhaps alluding to the animal's soft, rubbing motions. The reason English lacked a native rabbit word is that hares were the only wild leporids in Britain. Rabbits were introduced from France in the late Middle Ages, probably after the Norman Conquest, so the word arrived with the animal.

Synonyms: bunny, hare