Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
snowshoe hare

snowshoe hare

1 6.5
A large North American hare with big feet that turns white in winter and brown in summer
  • noun
  • /ˈsnoʊˌʃuː hɛr/
  • US
translation icon : liebre de raquetas de nieve
  • The snowshoe hare changes its fur color from brown in summer to white in winter for camouflage.
  • snowshoe hare cycle
  • snowshoe hare decline
  • snowshoe hare population

Examples

  • We mostly study snowshoe hares, which are very widely distributed across North America and they turn white every winter.

  • White on white: a snowshoe hare in its winter coat.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Photo: A snowshoe hare may enhance the camouflage effect of its white winter fur by sitting absolutely still.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Hunters are reminded that snowshoe hares are not legal game in Ohio and should not be hunted.

    Blog text (26)

  • I have seen tracks that approach 15 feet between the bounds of a fleeing snowshoe hare.

    Blog text (5)

  • Many animals of high northern latitudes, such as arctic foxes, snowshoe hares, and ptarmigans, are white in winter and brownish in summer.

    Academic text (1995)

  • In the winter, the snowshoe hare's white fur helps it blend in with the snow.

  • We observed a snowshoe hare hopping through the woods, its coat a crisp white against the white ground.

Synonyms

snowshoe rabbit
vssnowshoe hare
  • US
1 3.9

A large North American hare with very big back feet that turns white in winter

is the standard common name rather than this informal label
varying hare
vssnowshoe hare
  • US
9.0

A large North American hare with big furry feet that turns white in winter

is the standard common name rather than this alternate label
Lepus americanus
vssnowshoe hare
  • Specialized
9.1

A large North American hare with big feet that turns white in winter

is the common name rather than the scientific form

Surface Forms

snowshoe hare singular
snowshoe hares plural

Morphology

snowshoe + hare

The compound is fully compositional: it describes a hare characterized by 'snowshoe' (i.e., large, snow-adapted feet). A B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a large-footed hare adapted to snow, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Snowshoe hare is named for the animal's very large feet that act like snowshoes, helping the hare move easily over deep snow. It also 'turns white in winter' to hide in the snow, so the name fits the animal today.