cottontail rabbit
1
2.0
- noun
- /ˈkɑːtənˌteɪl ˈræbɪt/
- US
:
conejo de cola de algodón
- "Rabbit numbers are lower this year, but this type of decline is expected with this cycle," said Stricker. "Regardless of these cyclical changes, cottontail rabbit populations are excellent throughout Ohio and provide plenty of opportunities for a family hunting outing."
Examples
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They are brown early in the season, which makes them resemble cottontail rabbits.
Blog text (26) -
The state's cottontail rabbit population has been very good recently.
Blog text (26) -
[narrator]Spring time marks the start of the long breeding season for the Northern Cottontail rabbit.
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There's the desert cottontail rabbit, for instance, also called the Audubon's cottontail.
Blog text (6) -
During interglacial periods, such as the present one, the weasels' habitat thawed out and became repopulated with warmer-weather prey, such as cottontail rabbits and water birds.
Academic text (1991) -
To avoid confusion between cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares, portions of Geauga and Ashtabula counties will be closed to all rabbit hunting from Nov. 2 to Dec. 2.
Blog text (26) -
The cottontail rabbit hopped across the field, its white-tailed rear flashing in the sunlight.
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In the woods, we often spotted a cottontail rabbit nibbling on clover and grass.
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During spring, the cottontail rabbit can be seen darting through the underbrush to find food.
Synonyms
242
1.0
A small rabbit, often a young one
7
5.2
A small rabbit with grey or brown fur and a white tail
5
1.0
A small, soft rabbit often thought of as young and cute
A common rabbit with a small fluffy white tail that lives in eastern and central North America
A common rabbit with a white tail that lives in eastern parts of the United States
A small North American rabbit with grey or brown fur found in woods
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning ('a rabbit with a white, fluffy tail') is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents: 'cottontail' (cotton-like/white tail) + 'rabbit' (the animal). This is a literal, descriptive compound pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily understand it.
Etymology
Cottontail rabbit gets its name from the small white tail that looks like a ball of cotton and flashes when the rabbit runs. That's why the name describes this small rabbit with a white tail.