jackrabbit

[ jak-rab-it ]

/ ˈdʒækˌræb ɪt /

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adjective

resembling a jack rabbit, as in suddenness or rapidity of movement: The car made a jackrabbit start when the traffic light turned green.

verb (used without object)

to go or start forward with a rapid, sudden movement.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of jackrabbit

First recorded in 1925–30; see origin at jack rabbit

Words nearby jackrabbit

jack pine, jack plane, jack plug, jack post, jackpot, jackrabbit, jack rafter, Jack Robinson, jack rod, jack rope, Jack Rose

Other definitions for jackrabbit (2 of 2)

jack rabbit

noun

any of various large hares of western North America, having very long hind legs and long ears.

Origin of jack rabbit

1860–65; jack(ass) + rabbit; so named from the size of its ears

How to use jackrabbit in a sentence

Grass in the desert is sparse so the fleshy stems and fruits of cactuses are the main source of food for many animals such as jackrabbits and javelinas.
How to remove cactus spines (including ones stuck in your throat)|Kate Baggaley|October 4, 2021|Popular-Science
I adore my friends, and I love their dogs—they’re hilarious and cute and fun—but I also care for the jackrabbit.
I Was a Bad Dog Owner. Don’t Be Like Me.|Kate Siber|May 11, 2021|Outside Online
It’s likely that KDP will give back at least part of the big 1%-plus gain in market share that its jackrabbit moves won in the pandemic, something Wall Street anticipates as evidenced by the stock’s flatline performance over the past year.
Keurig is a machine: How the beverage giant is leveraging A.I. to fuel growth|Shawn Tully|October 19, 2020|Fortune
The dogs that barked were behind farmhouse gates, and we had use for our stones only at an occasional jackrabbit.
Riviera Towns|Herbert Adams Gibbons

Only a greyhound or other long-legged dog can beat a jackrabbit running.
The Bobbsey Twins at Cedar Camp|Laura Lee Hope
Lepus californicus merriami Mearns: Black-tailed Jackrabbit.
Vertebrates from the Barrier Island of Tamaulipas, Mxico|Robert K Selander
Ordinarily these dogs, who were also wise beasts, passed by the jackrabbit in his abundance with only inhibited longing.
The Killer|Stewart Edward White
A jackrabbit arrested in full flight by a charge of shot turns a very spectacular somersault.
The Killer|Stewart Edward White

British Dictionary definitions for jackrabbit

jack rabbit

noun

any of various W North American hares, such as Lepus townsendi (white-tailed jack rabbit), having long hind legs and large ears

Word Origin for jack rabbit

C19: shortened from jackass-rabbit, referring to its long ears

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012