rabbit

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rab·bit / ˈrabit/ • n. a burrowing, gregarious, plant-eating mammal (family Leporidae) with long ears, long hind legs, and a short tail. ∎  the fur of the rabbit. ∎ another term for hare. ∎  a runner who acts as pacesetter in the first laps of a race.• v. (rabbited , rabbiting ) [intr.] hunt rabbits. PHRASES: pull a rabbit out of the hat used to describe an action that is fortuitous, and may involve sleight of hand or deception.DERIVATIVES: rab·bit·y adj.ORIGIN: late Middle English: apparently from Old French (compare French dialect rabotte ‘young rabbit’), perhaps of Dutch origin (compare Flemish robbe).

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