Meaning & use
rabbits
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“rabbits” is a form of “rabbit”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Small furry animals with long ears and a short tail, often kept as pets or found in the wild.
Grammar: This is the plural form of 'rabbit'. The singular is 'rabbit': 'one rabbit', 'two rabbits'.
Patterns
- a group of rabbits
- keep rabbits
- wild rabbits
We saw many rabbits in the field.
She keeps two rabbits as pets.
Rabbits are known for their long ears and hopping.
Common combinations
- breed like rabbits
- The mice in the barn breed like rabbits.
- a nest of rabbits
- We found a nest of rabbits under the bush.
- rabbits and hares
- It's hard to tell rabbits and hares apart.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bunnies
- Informal and often used for pet rabbits or in children's language; 'rabbits' is the standard term.
Word family
- rabbit noun
- The singular form, referring to one animal.
Commonly confused: rabbits or hares?
rabbits vs hares
Hares are similar to rabbits but larger, with longer ears and legs, and they live above ground rather than in burrows.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The plural of 'rabbit' is 'rabbits', so 'three rabbits' is correct. The other options are incorrect spellings or use the singular form with a plural number.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rabbits”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.