jackalope

noun

jack·​a·​lope ˈja-kə-ˌlōp 

plural jackalopes

: a mythical animal that is reported chiefly from the western U.S. and is reputed to be the size of a small deer and to have the body of a jackrabbit and the horns of an antelope

Though stories mentioning horned creatures and animal hybrids exist in cultures and texts worldwide, in the U.S., the jackalope was "invented" by a creative hunter in Wyoming—paving the way for tourist attractions and cementing its place as a classic Americana relic.

—Kara Goldfarb

Do you really have the willpower to pass up snapping a photo of yourself with the 80-foot brontosaurus and giant stuffed jackalope out front?

—Bob Howells et al.

With a load of this brand of alcohol warming his belly, if a cowboy says he can lick double his weight of jackalopes, there's no doubt that he can't.

—Donald E. Getz

Papilloma viruses cause the hornlike growths in rabbits that probably gave rise to myths of "jackalopes" in the American West.

—Matthew Herper

Examples of jackalope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That spot — which boasted a dusty jackalope head on the wall — stood in the shadow of the Mystic River Bascule Bridge, a 1922 marvel that lifts on command to let ships pass. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026

The jackalope with horns like a gate behind its ears. — Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

The jackalope is a fictional animal that originated in North America and is characterized by a rabbit with horns or antlers. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025

The virus likely helped fuel the North American jackalope myth, which describes a rabbit with antlers or horns. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

jack(rabbit) + -alope, respelling of -elope in antelope

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jackalope

• antelope
• bronchoscope
• cantaloupe
• cystoscope
• endoscope
• envelope
• epitope
• gyroscope
• horoscope
• isotope
• microscope
• misanthrope