Rabbit
/ˈræb.ɪt/noun
A small burrowing mammal with long ears and strong hind legs.
Did you know?The word originally referred to a young rabbit or coney in Middle English, and the exact deeper origin of the root is uncertain, which makes it one of those everyday words with a surprisingly shadowy past.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
rabet
“a young rabbit”
14th Century
English
rabbit
“a young rabbit; later the common name for the animal”
16th Century
English
rabbit
“the common burrowing mammal”
Modern English
English
rabbit
“a small burrowing mammal with long ears and strong hind legs”