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Definition of cottontail rabbit

cottontail rabbit

Plural:cottontail rabbits
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cottontail rabbit Lexical Profile

• noun

1

North American Any of various New World rabbits belonging to the genus Sylvilagus, characteristically possessing a brown or grayish coat and a conspicuous, fluffy white underside to the tail.

Example

"We watched a cottontail rabbit foraging for clover at the edge of the garden before it quickly bounded back into the brush."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for cottontail rabbit

• Nearby Words

cotton rat
cottonmouth
cottontail
cottontail rabbit
cottonwood
coturnix
coucal

Word Origin & Etymology

The name 'cottontail' originated in American English in the mid-19th century, coined because the animal's distinct, fluffy white under-tail resembles a boll of cotton. Combined with 'rabbit', derived from the Middle English 'rabet'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cottontail rabbit. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cottontail rabbit
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