cottontail
UK[ˈkɒtnteɪl]US[ˈkɑːtnteɪl]
n
A common North American rabbit with a white, fluffy underside to its tail.
Morpheme Breakdown
cotton
tail
cotton
tail
Etymology
The word 'cottontail' is a transparent compound formed from two English nouns, 'cotton' and 'tail'. 'Cotton' entered English from Old French 'coton', tracing back to Arabic 'quṭun', and refers to the soft, white fibrous substance. 'Tail' originates from Old English 'tægl'. The compound name is a direct descriptive metaphor, coined in American English to denote rabbits of the genus Sylvilagus, whose most distinguishing feature is a tail with a white, cottony underside that is prominently displayed when the animal flees. This naming follows a common pattern in American fauna nomenclature, using vivid, observable characteristics to create a memorable common name.
Analysis
Structure: cotton + tail
cotton: (Origin: Arabic via Romance languages; Role: Noun, used attributively to denote a soft, white, fluffy material)
tail: (Origin: Old English; Role: Noun, referring to the rear appendage of an animal)
Examples
The cottontail rabbit darted into the underbrush, its white puff of a tail flashing behind it.
We often see cottontails grazing at the edge of the field at dusk.
The biologist studied the habitat preferences of the eastern cottontail.