little chief hare
- noun
- /ˈlɪtəl tʃiːf hɛr/
- US
:
pika
- We spotted a little chief hare darting among the rocks during our hike in the Rockies.
Examples
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The little chief hare is well adapted to cold alpine environments and makes distinctive whistling calls.
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Researchers study how climate change affects the habitat of the little chief hare.
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The little chief hare can be found in the Rocky Mountains.
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Have you ever seen a little chief hare in the wild?
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We spotted a little chief hare darting among the rocks during our hike in the Rockies.
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The little chief hare is well adapted to cold alpine environments and makes distinctive whistling calls.
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Researchers study how climate change affects the habitat of the little chief hare.
Synonyms
1
9.6
A small animal like a rabbit that lives among mountain rocks
A small animal like a rabbit that lives in rocky mountains of western North America
A small animal with short ears that lives in holes among mountain rocks
A small short-eared animal that lives among rocks in Asia and western North America
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents 'little' + 'chief' + 'hare' would most likely be interpreted as a small or subordinate leader hare (or simply a small hare) and give no clear indication of a specific species like the North American pika. The presence of 'chief' is anomalous for an animal name and the mapping from these words to the taxonomic meaning is arbitrary and unpredictable for learners, so the overall meaning cannot be derived from the parts.
Etymology
Little chief hare may come from mountain people who saw the tiny animal sitting on a rock like a small leader. They called it a little chief hare, so that's why the name today means a small 'mountain mammal' found among rocks and cold places.