bunny

C2+ Topic:Communication

US /ˈbʌni/ UK /ˈbʌni/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like bonnie /ʌ/ vs /ɑ/

Meanings

1

noun
a child's word for a rabbit

The toddler chased a bunny across the lawn.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a child's word for a rabbit rabbitbunnyrabbitcottontailconey

Word family

Related forms bun

Simplified etymology

Bunny was first recorded in 1606 as a term of endearment and was applied as a pet name to rabbits later in the 17th century. It is a pet form of dialectal bun, meaning a squirrel or rabbit, whose origin is unknown. That bun is probably unrelated to the equally obscure word for a small cake.

Etymology

From dialectal bun ('rabbit, squirrel') + the diminutive -y; bun was earlier a term of endearment, of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scottish Gaelic bun ('stump, root').

Topics

Communication Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# bunny

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbʌni/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbʌni/

## Meanings
1. a child's word for a rabbit

## Examples
- The toddler chased a bunny across the lawn.

## Synonyms
- rabbit
- bunnyrabbit
- cottontail
- coney

## Related Forms
- bun

## Etymology
From dialectal bun ('rabbit, squirrel') + the diminutive -y; bun was earlier a term of endearment, of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scottish Gaelic bun ('stump, root').

## AI Etymology
Bunny is a noun meaning "a child's word for a rabbit". Historically, it is from dialectal bun ('rabbit, squirrel') + the diminutive -y; bun was earlier a term of endearment, of uncertain origin, perhaps from Scottish Gaelic bun ('stump, root'). The visible construction is part of the etymology: bunny is not just an unanalyzed simple word. A close English family member is bun. This keeps the modern noun sense tied to the formation history behind it.

## Topics
- Communication
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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