Meaning & use
rabbit warren
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A network of underground tunnels and burrows where wild rabbits live.
Grammar: Countable: a rabbit warren, several rabbit warrens.
Patterns
- a rabbit warren
- in a rabbit warren
The field was full of rabbit warrens, making it dangerous to ride a horse there.
We found a rabbit warren hidden under the old oak tree.
The farmer decided to fill in the rabbit warren to protect his crops.
nouncountablefigurative
A confusing maze of narrow passages or rooms, especially in a building.
Grammar: Often used figuratively with of: a rabbit warren of streets.
Patterns
- a rabbit warren of something
- like a rabbit warren
The old town is a rabbit warren of narrow alleys and hidden courtyards.
We got lost in the rabbit warren of corridors in the hospital.
The apartment was a rabbit warren of tiny rooms with no windows.
Word forms
| plural | rabbit warrens |
|---|
Common combinations
- a rabbit warren of streets
- The medina is a rabbit warren of streets where you can easily lose your way.
- a rabbit warren of tunnels
- The prisoners dug a rabbit warren of tunnels to escape.
- like a rabbit warren
- The basement was like a rabbit warren, full of twisting passages.
- a maze of rabbit warrens
- The hillside was dotted with a maze of rabbit warrens.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: rabbit warren or warren?
rabbit warren vs warren
On its own, warren can mean the same as rabbit warren, but it is also used for a crowded building or area.
Practice
The old part of the city is a ______ of narrow streets and hidden squares.
Choose one answer.
Rabbit warren is used figuratively for a confusing maze of streets. A rabbit hutch is a small cage for a pet rabbit. A rabbit hole is a hole in the ground or a distracting situation. Rabbit punch is a blow to the back of the neck.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rabbit warren”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.