cottontail

noun cot·ton·tail \ ˈkä-tᵊn-ˌtāl \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of cottontail

: any of several rather small North American rabbits (genus Sylvilagus) sandy to grayish brown in color with a white-tufted underside of the tail

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Recent Examples of cottontail from the Web

Our chemical-free pest control includes everything from a nearby doghouse to aluminum pie-tins tied to stakes to rattle in the wind as a means to frighten away cottontail offenders.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "Carrots are a colorful ingredient addition for any season," 30 Mar. 2018
Shoes with rubber soles may seem unsavory, but preliminary results show that urban coyotes gulp them down, along with western cottontail rabbits, birds, avocados, oranges, peaches, candy wrappers, fast-food cartons and an occasional cat.

— louis sahagun, latimes.com, "How do coyotes thrive in urban Southern California? The answer is not for the weak-stomached," 23 Mar. 2018
Bobwhite quail, cottontail rabbits and other small animals find their winter homes in brush piles and thick patches.

— evan macdonald, cleveland.com, "No one harmed in Christmas house fire in Broadview Heights," 25 Dec. 2017
Meanwhile in Connecticut and surrounding states, the New England cottontail or woodland rabbit, Sylvilagus transitionalis, is under great pressure from factors including habitat loss and fragmentation.

— c. claiborne ray, New York Times, "Can Rabbits Escape Roadkill?," 6 Oct. 2017
In South America, myxoma’s birthplace, the virus causes an innocuous disease in the local cottontails.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "The Next Chapter in a Viral Arms Race," 14 Aug. 2017
A cottontail rabbit with extensive injuries was taken to a shelter.

— Washington Post, "Alexandria and Arlington Animal Watch," 11 July 2017
A study in the Chicago area showed the following percentages of food groups occurring in coyotes' diets: 43 percent small rodents; 22 percent white-tailed deer; 23 percent fruit; 18 percent eastern cottontail rabbit; and 13 percent birds.

— frank s. abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "Reward raised to $8,000 as surviving Barrington Hills coyote pup recovers," 14 June 2017
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection asked the land trust to participate in the New England cottontail project.

— ken byron, Courant Community, "Canton Land Trust Plans Hike To Highlight Cottontails' Plight," 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cottontail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.