hare

\ ˈher

How to pronounce hare (audio)

\

plural hare or hares

Definition of hare

(Entry 1 of 2)

: any of various swift, gnawing, herbivorous, usually shy lagomorph mammals (family Leporidae and especially genus Lepus) that have long ears, short tails, and powerful long hind legs, are usually solitary or sometimes live in pairs, have the young open-eyed and furred at birth, and live in aboveground nests — compare rabbit sense 1a

hare

hared; haring

Definition of hare (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to go swiftly : tear entry 1 hare off down the road

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about hare

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Did You Know?

Verb

No doubt you've heard Aesop's fable about the speedy hare and the plodding tortoise. The hare may have lost that race due to a tactical error (stopping to take a nap before reaching the finish line), but the long-eared mammal's overall reputation for swiftness remains intact. It's no surprise, then, that hare is used as a verb meaning "to move quickly." The noun hare (which refers, in its most specific zoological sense, to a member of the genus Lepus, whose young are usually able to hop a few minutes after birth) is a very old word. It first appeared as hara in a Latin-Old English glossary around the year 700. The verb was in use by the end of the 19th century, and people have been "haring off" and "haring about" ever since.

Examples of hare in a Sentence

Verb He came haring round the corner at top speed. she's always haring off to attend to some emergency

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun So by what hare-brained logic did the Legislature think accommodating those reckless drivers and endangering the rest of us with this law was a good idea? — Letter Writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: Does Fort Snelling really need a new name?," 25 Aug. 2019 Other names include the hare moon, the corn planting moon, and the milk moon. — National Geographic, "Learn about the lunar cycle, as well as the origins of the many names given to each month's full moon.," 15 June 2019 Comedian Cristela Alonzo will voice a hare named Hester, the daemon of Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "Meet the daemons: HBO's His Dark Materials reveals voice cast," 30 Aug. 2019 Lynx, which prey on hares, appear to have followed. — Katie Orlinsky, National Geographic, "Arctic permafrost is thawing fast. That affects us all.," 16 Aug. 2019 The dead hares could have possibly contracted an infectious disease known as tularemia. — Fox News, "Alaska officials warn hares could spread deadly disease to people, pets," 8 June 2019 Great horned owls, also known as tiger owls, typically feed on rabbits and hares, rats and mice, or other rodents. — Fox News, "Great horned owl discovered completely covered in oil after getting into pit," 23 July 2019 In one Buddhist tale, a hare that sacrifices itself to feed a hungry priest is honored by its likeness being etched in the moon’s surface for all to see. — Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Apollo 11 at 50: How the moon landing changed the world," 16 July 2019 Late stages of the disease can make hares slow and easy to catch by pets. — USA TODAY, "Black Hills yaks, serious senioritis on campus, Pony Express: News from around our 50 states," 10 June 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Karius looked stricken as the game ticked through its final minutes, as Cristiano Ronaldo hared around, desperately searching for the goal that would allow him his moment in the spotlight. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "Real Madrid Beats Liverpool in Champions League Final on a Wonder and Two Blunders," 27 May 2018 Sadio Mane intercepted a stray pass on the edge of his area, before playing a through ball between two defenders to set Mohamed Salah haring down the line. — Matias Grez, CNN, "Liverpool stun Manchester City to take commanding lead in Champions League tie," 4 Apr. 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near hare

Hardy-Weinberg law

Hare's apparatus

Statistics for hare

Last Updated

26 Sep 2019

Time Traveler for hare

The first known use of hare was before the 12th century

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