white-tailed jackrabbit
- noun
- /ˈwaɪtˌteɪld ˈdʒækˌræbɪt/
- US
- We spotted a white-tailed jackrabbit darting through the fields at sunset.
Examples
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The winter coat of the white-tailed jackrabbit helps it blend into snowy landscapes.
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The white-tailed jackrabbit is known for its impressive speed.
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During summer, the white-tailed jackrabbit is more brownish-grey than in winter.
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Many white-tailed jackrabbits live in open fields.
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The winter coat of the white-tailed jackrabbit helps it blend into snowy landscapes.
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We spotted a white-tailed jackrabbit darting through the fields at sunset.
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During summer, the white-tailed jackrabbit is more brownish-grey than in winter.
Synonyms
A large hare with a white tail that lives in western United States plains
A large wild hare in North America with a white tail that lives in plains and mountains
Surface Forms
Morphology
white-tailed + jackrabbit
The phrase is a straightforward descriptive compound: 'white-tailed' means having a white tail and 'jackrabbit' names a hare, so the overall meaning is simply a jackrabbit with a white tail. This color+body-part + noun pattern is highly compositional and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
White-tailed jackrabbit The noun white-tailed jackrabbit comes from its look: a large jackrabbit with an almost always completely white tail that flashes when it runs. So the name simply describes the big hare with a white tail.