European rabbit
- noun
- /ˌjʊərəˈpiːən ˈræbɪt/
- UK
:
conejo europeo
- The European rabbit is often kept as a pet due to its friendly nature.
Examples
-
The European rabbit is recognized by its long ears and fluffy body.
-
Unfortunately, the general public had become accustomed to the idea that miracle bugs could be found to destroy almost any introduced pest, partly as a result of the success against the prickly pear and the Myxomatosis campaign against the European rabbit.
Academic text (1992) -
During the 1880s, hundreds of stoats and the much smaller common weasel were transported from Britain to New Zealand, in the hope that they would help control the imported European rabbits, which were overrunning crops and pastures.
Academic text (1991) -
Farmers in New Zealand struggle with the large population of European rabbits that damage their crops.
Synonyms
A rabbit originally from Europe and North Africa that lives in burrows and is often kept as a pet
A burrowing rabbit from southern Europe and northern Africa often kept as a pet
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjectival modifier + noun: 'European' (from Europe) + 'rabbit' (a burrowing mammal) yields a rabbit species associated with Europe, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. This compositional pattern (location/attribute + animal) is cross-linguistically common, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
European rabbit literally means a rabbit from Europe. This name helps you remember that this kind of rabbit originally lived in Europe and was later taken to other lands, so the name means 'a rabbit from Europe'.
