Pronunciation

/haɪər/

Definitions

• Noun (n): A fast-running wild animal with long ears, similar to a rabbit but larger, typically found in open fields and meadows. Example: “The hunter spotted a hare darting across the field.”

  • Also used metaphorically, e.g., “He’s as quick as a hare when it comes to solving math problems.”

• Verb (v): To hunt hares. Example: “They spent the afternoon hare coursing across the countryside.”

Phrases

• “Mad as a March hare”: This phrase refers to someone who behaves in a wild or unpredictable manner, originally derived from the frenetic mating behavior of hares during the breeding season.
• “Start a hare”: To introduce an irrelevant topic or distract from the main subject under discussion.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The greyhound was bred specifically for hare chasing.”
• Verb: “In medieval times, noblemen would often hare for sport.”

Synonyms

• Jackrabbit (North American term)
• Brown hare
• Leveret (a young hare)
• Cony (archaic term for a hare)

For verb sense:

• Hunt
• Chase
• Pursue

Note that the verb form of “hare” is less commonly used than its noun form referring to the animal itself.