mouse hare
- noun
- /maʊs hɛr/
- Specialized
:
pika
- Unlike rabbits, the mouse hare has shorter ears and lives among rocks.
Examples
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The mouse hare is well adapted to the cold climate of the mountains.
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Scientists studied the behavior of the mouse hare in its natural habitat.
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The mouse hare is known for its distinctive call.
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Have you ever seen a mouse hare in the wild?
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Scientists studied the behavior of the mouse hare in its natural habitat.
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The mouse hare is well adapted to the cold climate of the mountains.
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Unlike rabbits, the mouse hare has shorter ears and lives among rocks.
Synonyms
1
9.6
A small animal like a rabbit that lives among mountain rocks
1
9.9
An old word for a rabbit or other burrowing mammal
A small short-eared animal that lives among rocks in Asia and western North America
A small animal like a rabbit that lives in rocky mountain areas in North America
A small shy animal that lives among rocks and looks like a rabbit but is not a true rabbit
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'mouse hare' transparently combines two animal nouns, so a learner who knows 'mouse' and 'hare' can infer it denotes a small hare-like animal (i.e. something resembling a hare but small like a mouse). However, the precise referent (the pika), its short ears, burrowing habits and taxonomic status are not predictable from the constituents alone, so the meaning is only partially derivable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Mouse hare may come from the animal's look: it is small and round like a mouse but hops and has short ears like a tiny hare. That's why the name now means the small mountain animal that lives in rock holes, also called a 'pika'.