Rabbitry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A facility dedicated to the breeding, raising, and management of domestic rabbits
2. An establishment focused on the care, reproduction, and nurturing of rabbits for various uses
3. A location devoted to the breeding and upkeep of domestic rabbits for meat, fur, or pets

Etymology: "Rabbitry" is a plain compound: the noun "rabbit" with the suffix "-ry", which English uses to form nouns naming a place or collective activity, as in "bakery," "nursery," or "piggery." Attaching it to "rabbit" gives a word for the place where rabbits are kept and bred, and the same pattern produces related terms such as "pigeonry" for a dovecote. The suffix itself arrived through Old French "-erie," which came from the Latin-derived "-aria," used for places tied to a trade or a set of goods. English adopted the ending widely in the medieval and early modern periods, so it could be attached to nearly any livestock or craft, and "rabbitry" follows that productive pattern. The noun "rabbit" itself entered English in the Middle Ages, probably from a Continental source, so the word is a fairly recent combination of an older animal name with a long-established English suffix.

Synonyms: rabbit farm, bunny hutch