Rabbit Definition Rabbit Definition 1

Rabbit (noun) — a small furry mammal with long ears, strong hind legs for hopping, a short fluffy tail and soft fur, living in burrows underground or kept as pets, known for eating vegetables, being cute and reproducing quickly.

Part of speech:
Noun (countable)
Phonetic transcription (IPA):
/ˈræb.ɪt/
CEFR level:
A1
Word frequency:

How to Pronounce “Rabbit”?

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Tips for “rabbit” pronunciation: 

Stress the first syllable RAB (like “grab” without the g), then add bit. The bb makes a short, quick sound.

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Using “Rabbit” in a Sentence: Examples

To define a “rabbit” even more completely, take a look at how native speakers use this word in their day-to-day real-life conversations to cover and explain different things.

We saw a rabbit hopping across the field during our morning walk.
My sister has a pet rabbit that lives in a large cage in her bedroom.
The rabbit ate all the carrots and lettuce.
White rabbits with pink eyes look so soft and gentle.
Baby rabbits are called bunnies and they’re incredibly cute and tiny.

Synonyms for the Word “Rabbit”

While “rabbit” is the standard noun, these alternatives will help you sound more varied when talking and writing in English.

Related nouns: cat dog mouse parrot

Synonyms (contextual): bunny

Common collocations: pet rabbit cute rabbit baby rabbit

“Rabbit” Word Formation and Common Uses

Discover how to say “rabbit” in various collocations where adjectives, verbs or nouns are used. Look at the examples and try to create something similar on your own.

With adjectives: white rabbit fluffy rabbit wild rabbit tame rabbit

With verbs: feed a rabbit catch a rabbit see rabbits keep rabbits

With nouns (noun + noun): rabbit hole rabbit food rabbit hutch rabbit ears

Idioms and Phrases with “Rabbit”

“Rabbits” have hopped their way into many English expressions — mastering these will make your speaking sound much more authentic, applying the meaning of “rabbit”!

  • Rabbit hole — a complicated or strange situation that’s hard to escape.

    I started researching one topic online and fell down a rabbit hole for three hours.
  • Pull a rabbit out of a hat — to do something surprising or seemingly impossible.

    The team was losing badly, but they pulled a rabbit out of a hat and won in the final minute.
Rabbit Idioma Rabbit Idioma 1
  • Breed like rabbits — to reproduce very quickly and in large numbers.

    The invasive plant species bred like rabbits and took over the entire forest.
  • Run like a rabbit — to run away very quickly, usually out of fear.

    When the alarm went off, the thieves ran like rabbits.

“Rabbit” Meaning: Exercises for Practice

Challenge yourself with these questions designed to check your understanding of vocabulary and its place in English expressions!

Type 1: True/false statements:
Choose the correct option:
1
Rabbits are mammals with long ears and strong hind legs for hopping.
2
“Pull a rabbit out of a hat” means to perform actual magic tricks.
3
A bunny is another word for a rabbit, especially a young or pet rabbit.
Type 2: Right word order:
Put these chaotic words in order:
1
white
is
rabbit
The
and
fluffy
2
saw
We
garden
in
rabbit
the
a
3
carrots
Rabbits
eating
love
Type 3: Choose the correct option
Select the right answer:
1
Your friend says she “fell down a rabbit hole” while browsing the internet. What happened?
2
What does “breed like rabbits” mean?
3
John ran like a rabbit. What does it mean?

Enjoy personalized learning!

“Rabbit” Word in Other Languages

Learn how to spell “rabbit” and pronounce it properly in German, Spanish and French.

Language Word for “Rabbit”
Flag Spanish Spanish   Conejo
Flag French French   Lapin
Flag German German   Kaninchen

Let’s Explore Fun Facts About “Rabbit”

Rabbits are far more interesting and complex than their cute appearance suggests — these facts reveal their remarkable abilities!

  • A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing.

    Wild rabbits maintain their teeth’s length through grinding on rough plants all the time, but domestic ones have to be given hay and toys to chew on so that the dental overgrowth does not occur, because it can be painful and lead to serious health problems.
  • Rabbits can see nearly 360 degrees.

    With their eyes positioned on the sides of their heads, rabbits have almost panoramic vision and can see almost everything around them even without turning their heads. However, they have a very small blind spot right in front of their noses.
  • Rabbits perform “binkies” when happy.

    A binky is a jump performed by bunnies when they are extremely happy or excited. They jump high in the air while twisting in delight and kicking their feet sideways. This joyful behavior is one of the most entertaining aspects of rabbit ownership and it indicates that the rabbit is healthy.

Memorable Quotes with the Word “Rabbit”

Explore how different people have explained the symbolism of rabbits in culture and literature. Read these quotes and explanations to get the idea!

“It is difficult to produce a television documentary that is both incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper.”

— Rod Serling

Explanation: Critiquing the commercial interruptions and branding them as ridiculous, Twilight Zone’s creator, Rod Serling, humorously remarked this. The quote uses rabbits to represent how marketing trivializes important subjects by injecting cuteness and consumerism.

“If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be messed-up.”

— Mitch Hedberg

Explanation: Hedberg employs absurd comedy to emphasize a simple logical idea. Because rabbits eat so many carrots and obviously aren’t drunk, carrots certainly do not have that capability.

“I don’t want to be predictable. I got a million rabbits in my hat.”

— Sisqó

Explanation: Speaking of surprise, Sisqó claims to value creativity and self-expression. The comparison of rabbits in his hat measures the solid appearance of thoughts, plans and other moves that have nothing to do with a scripted pattern.