rock rabbit
- noun
- /rɑk ˈræbɪt/
- US
:
pika
- We spotted a rock rabbit hiding among the boulders during our hike.
Examples
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The rock rabbit is not a true rabbit, despite its name and appearance.
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The rock rabbit quickly darted into its burrow when it sensed danger nearby.
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Many predators in the savanna prey on the rock rabbit for food.
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The rock rabbit is often found in mountainous regions.
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Have you ever seen a rock rabbit in the wild?
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While hiking in the mountains, we were excited to catch a glimpse of a rock rabbit perched on a rocky ledge.
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The rock rabbit is known for its agility and is often found in areas with lots of rocks and crevices.
Synonyms
1
9.6
A small animal like a rabbit that lives among mountain rocks
A small animal that eats plants and lives on rocks in Africa and the Middle East
A small, furry mammal that lives on rocky hills and cliffs in Africa and the Middle East
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 compound is directly compositional: 'rock' specifies the habitat and 'rabbit' denotes a small mammal, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a small, rabbit-like animal found among rocks. Although regionally it may label animals that are not true rabbits (e.g., hyrax or pika), the descriptive meaning is predictable and follows common noun-noun compounding patterns.
Etymology
Rock rabbit comes from a simple picture: people saw a small, rabbit-like animal hiding among rocks and put rock and rabbit together to name it. It is not a true rabbit, but the name stuck, so today rock rabbit means 'a small, shy mammal found in rocky areas'.