Do you need some help understanding the "rabbit language" of the rabbit world? Hopefully you can find what you're looking for here! The following is a compilation of all the words we know of that are unique or have a different meaning in the rabbit world.
For a more complete rabbit dictionary, consider purchasing the American Rabbit Breeders Association's Standard of Perfection at www.arba.net!
Rabbit words are listed on the left, next to the second column listing abbreviations or related words. More information about the rabbit clubs below can be found on our rabbit club links page.
| Rabbit Word | Also Known As | Definition | |
| 4-class | The smaller show-and-pet, or fancy, breeds. These breeds have 4 classes, SR Bucks and Does, and JR Bucks and Does. Mini Rex and Holland Lops are 4-class breeds. | ||
| 6-class | Breeds with a minimum ideal senior weight of 9 pounds that are usually judged for their commercial value. They have two more classes than 4-class breeds, 6/8 Bucks and Does. New Zealands are 6-class breeds. | ||
| 6/8 | Intermediate | See "Intermediate". | |
| AFNZRB | American Federation of New Zealand Rabbit Breeders. www.geocities.com/newzealandrba/ | ||
| Agouti | A color where the hair shaft has three bands of color. Only seen on Holland Lops in the M-n-M Barn. | ||
|
ARBA |
American Rabbit Breeders Association. www.arba.net | ||
| |||
| ARBA Convention | Nationals | The largest rabbit show in America, held for a few days every fall in a sponsoring city. There have been over 80 ARBA National Conventions, the first being in Kansas City, Missouri. Modern shows have catered to 20,000 plus rabbits! Every single breed recognized by the ARBA is represented at the show. Some rabbits travel from as far away as Canada and Japan! | |
| Baby Rabbit | Kit | See "Kit". | |
| Back | The top part of the rabbit's shoulders, loin, and hindquarters. | ||
| Balance | A word used to refer to the overall appearance of a rabbit. | ||
| Banding | A hair shaft with different colors, usually associated with an agouti coat of fur. | ||
| Base Color | The color of the fur next to the skin. | ||
| Bell Ears | Ears with large, heavy tips that have a distinctive fall or lop. | ||
| Belly | The abdomen, from the last rib to the pelvis, that contains the primary digestive organs. | ||
| Belly Color | The color on the underside of the rabbit. | ||
|
Best 4-class, Best 6-class |
The best fancy and commercial rabbits in a show. These two rabbits compete for the title of BEST IN SHOW. This is the usual grouping method. Large shows may divide rabbits into more groups. | ||
| BEST IN SHOW | BIS | The best rabbit in a show. | |
| Best Of Breed | BOB | The best rabbit in a breed. | |
| Best Of Group | BOG | The best rabbit in a group. | |
| Best Opposite Sex | BOS | The best rabbit in a breed wins Best Of Breed, the best rabbit of the opposite sex wins Best Opposite Sex. | |
| Best Opposite Sex of Group | BOSG | This best rabbit of the winner's opposite sex in a group. | |
| Best Opposite Sex of Variety | BOSV | This best rabbit of the winner's opposite sex in a variety, or showroom color. | |
| Best Of Variety | BOV | The best rabbit in a variety, or showroom color. | |
| Blemish | Any defect or fault that detracts from the appearance of a rabbit. | ||
| Bloodline | Strain | A group of rabbits of the same family blood that reproduce with similar characteristics. | |
| Body Type | Type | See "Type". | |
| Boy Rabbit | Buck | See "Buck". | |
| Breed | A class of domestic rabbits that reproduces itself with distinctive characteristics, such as type of fur, markings, shape, and size. Mini Rex, Holland Lops, and New Zealands each have characteristics specific to their breed. | ||
| Breeder | Rabbit Breeder | Someone who raises a certain breed or number of breeds in an effort for the animals to conform to their Standard of Perfection. They are interested in improving the rabbit world with the work that they do. | |
| Breeding Certificate | A certificate written by the owner of a stud buck that includes its pedigree and the date of breeding to a certain doe. This is used as half of a pedigree for the anticipated offspring. | ||
| Broken Coat | Any time the undercoat is exposed. This usually occurs when the rabbit is molting. | ||
| Buck | Boy Rabbit | An intact male rabbit. | |
| Butterfly | A marking across a rabbit's nose that covers the wiskers and upper lip. Holland Lops usually have butterflies. They are also visible on broken Mini Rex. | ||
| Charlie | A very lightly marked broken rabbit or rabbit of a marked breed. Found in Mini Rex and Hollands, charlies are named for their common Charlie Chaplin mustache like marking. | ||
| Choppy | Chopped | A condition of the body type where there is an abrupt and sharp vertical fall from the top of the hip to the tail. The rabbit isn't filled out very well. | |
| Classes | See "Showroom Classes". | ||
| Cobby | A word used to describe a short and stocky body type. | ||
| Condition | The overall physical state of a rabbit in relation to health, cleanliness, fur, and grooming. | ||
| Crossbreeding | Crossbred | Breeding rabbits of different breeds. The crossbred offspring is unshowable. | |
| Crown | In lops, this is the strong basal ridge of cartilage at the top of the head that forms the ear base. A good crown is a must to have a good lop show rabbit. | ||
| Culling | The process of picking the best rabbits in a litter for future show and breeding stock and getting rid of the lower quality animals in the litter. When rabbits are sold to make room in the barn. | ||
| Dam | Mother | The mother of a rabbit. | |
| Density | The property or quality of a thick coat of fur. The number of fibers in a given area. | ||
| Depth | A measurement downward from the top line of the body to the lowest portion of the body. | ||
| Dewclaw | An extra toe and claw on the inside of the front legs. This gives the rabbit 5 claws in the front, and 4 in the back. The rabbit has a total of 18 claws and toes. | ||
| Dewlap | A fold of loose skin that hangs from a doe's throat. Its only use is to pull fur from while making a nest. | ||
| Disqualification | D.Q. | One or more defects, deformaties, or blemishes substantial enough to prevent a rabbit from competing or being registered. | |
| Doe | Girl Rabbit | An unaltered female rabbit. | |
| Ear Number | Tattoo | See "Tattoo". | |
| Father | Sire | See "Sire". | |
| Fault | An imperfection of the rabbit. This is an undesirable characteristic or condition that will result in a lower placing but not total disqualification from competition. | ||
| Finish Line | Prime Line | A line in the rabbit's coat running down the center of the back. This denotes a coat of fur in prime condition. | |
| Flabby | A condition when flesh and fur hang loosely on the body. Not trim and in shape. | ||
| Flank | The sides of the rabbit between the ribs and hips above the belly. | ||
| Flyback Fur | A type of fur that very quickly returns to its natural position when stroked backwards from the tail towards the rabbit's head. This type of fur is found on New Zealands. | ||
| Gestation | The time between conception and birth. The carrying of babies or pregnancy. In rabbits, gestation is usually 28-35 days. | ||
| Grand Champion | G.C. | A title a registered rabbit can receive after winning at least 3 legs. See "Leg" for more information about legs. For a rabbit to achieve Grand Champion status, at least one of those 3 (or more) legs must have been won while in an older age class (6/8 or SR) and at least two must be from different judges. There is a fee of $4 for the official certificate and Grand Champion number. | |
| Guard Hairs | The longer, coarser hairs in a coat of fur that protect the undercoat. These hairs are absent on rex-furred rabbits, including Mini Rex. | ||
| Hairball | An accumulation of hair in the stomach that forms a ball and impairs appetite and digestion. | ||
| Hindquarters | The posterior section (back half) of the rabbit made up of the loin, hips, hind legs, and rump. | ||
| HLRSC | Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club. www.hlrsc.com | ||
| Hock | The area of the foot that carries the weight of the rabbit. | ||
| Hutch Stain | Stain on the coat due to urine, manure, or rust on the cage. | ||
| Illinois | IL | The state to the right of Missouri and home to the world headquarters of the ARBA (in Bloomington). | |
| Intermediate | 6/8 | A 6-class rabbit between 6 and 8 months old, or who meets the breed weight requirements for this age group if the breed standard allows showing in a higher class. This classification only applies to New Zealands in our barn. | |
| IRBA | Illinois Rabbit Breeders Association. www.nordickrabbits.com/default.htm | ||
| Judge | Someone who has undergone extensive testing by the ARBA and is licensed to judge rabbits at ARBA shows. | ||
| Junior | JR | Any rabbit younger than 6 months old. | |
| Kindle | Kindling | A word used to refer to the birth and raising of babies. | |
| Kit | Baby Rabbit | The proper name for a baby rabbit. | |
| Lactate | To nurse, or produce milk. | ||
| Lagomorph | The order that rabbits are classified under. Rabbits aren't rodents, they're lagomorphs, because they have two more incisor teeth than rodents do. | ||
| Leg | G.C. Leg | A step to Grand Champion status. At least 3 legs are needed for a registered rabbit to become a Grand Champion. Legs are gained by winning a class or Best at an ARBA sanctioned show provided the rabbit competed against at least 5 other rabbits to win the leg and those other rabbits were owned by at least 3 other exhibitors. | |
| Linebreeding | Linebred | A breeding program that involves breeding rabbits who are both descended from the same bloodline but are separated by at least one generation. First cousins, uncle to niece, aunt to nephew, etc. | |
| Litter | A group of young rabbits, or kits, born to a doe at the same time. Siblings. | ||
| Loin | The part of the back on either side of the vertebrae from the last rib back to the hip joint. | ||
| Lopped Ears | Ears that hang from the top of the head downward instead of upright. Holland Lops and the four other lop breeds have lopped ears. | ||
| Malocclusion | A disorder of the teeth where the lower incisors extend in front of the upper incisors or meet with no overlap. This causes problems because the rabbit's teeth grow as long as it lives, and without proper wear or medical care, the teeth will keep growing until the rabbit can no longer eat. | ||
| Market Rabbit | Single Fryer | A judging class where young commercial rabbits are judged individually for their commercial quality. The rabbits must be under 10 weeks of age and weigh between 3 and 5 pounds. In 4-H shows, this is a market rabbit class. In ARBA shows, this class is termed Single Fryer. Often single fryers are shown right after the meat pens with some of the same meat pen rabbits. ARBA points and judging are separate for single fryers. They do not compete for BEST IN SHOW. | |
| Massive | Giving the impression of being large, bulky, heavy, and ponderous. Our New Zealands are often called massive. | ||
| Meat Pen | Market Pen | A class of three 6-class rabbits no more than 10 weeks old. The rabbits are judged mostly on their commercial quality, uniformity, and weight. All three must be very much alike and all weigh about the same, between 3 and 5 pounds. ARBA points and judging are separate for meat pens. They do not compete for BEST IN SHOW. | |
| Mid Section | The portion of the body starting with the 6th rib and going back to the rear legs. | ||
| Missouri | MO | A beautiful state and home to M-n-M Rabbits. | |
| Molt | Molting | Shedding hairs and changing into a new coat of fur. | |
| Mother | Dam | See "Dam". | |
| MSRPA | Missouri State Rabbit Producers Association. http://www.geocities.com/missouri_rpa/ | ||
| Mutation | The sudden change of a physical characteristic caused by an alteration of the organization of a gene. One of the best known mutations is the Rex fur structure. | ||
| Nationals | ARBA Convention | See "ARBA Convention". | |
| Nest Box | A box in the doe's cage where the kits are born and live in for the first few weeks. | ||
| NMRRC | National Mini Rex Rabbit Club. www.nmrrc.com | ||
| Open | A word used to describe a division of rabbit showing. "Open" breeders compete in shows separately from "Youth" breeders. However, youth breeders can show in the Open division if they choose to. | ||
| Open Coat | A coat of fur lacking the ability to return to its natural position when stroked backwards from the tail towards the rabbit's head. This is usually caused by a molt. | ||
| Outbreeding | Outbred | A breeding program involving the breeding of unrelated rabbits of the same breed. | |
| Pair | A buck and a doe bought or sold together for the purpose of breeding. | ||
| Patch | A small section of fur of a different color than the rest of the coat. | ||
| Pedigree | A written chart of a rabbit's ancestry, including three (sometimes more) generations: the parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. It includes information on the rabbits such as date of birth, color, weight, G.C. legs, winnings, registration number, and grand champion number. | ||
| Pencil Line | A protrusion of fur across the throat and under the chin, which isn't a dewlap. | ||
| Pinched Hindquarters | When the hindquarters taper towards the tail, giving a pinched appearance. | ||
| Poor Coat | A coat of fur that is not in good condition because of molt, stain, ill health, or general poor quality due to heredity. | ||
| Pre-Junior | PJ | Any rabbit younger than 3 months old. | |
| Prime Line | Finish Line | See "Finish Line". | |
| Purebred | A rabbit that meets or closely resembles the standard for their breed and has done so for a number of generations. | ||
| Rabbit Breeder | Breeder | See "Breeder". | |
| Rabbitry |
Rabbit Farm Rabbit Ranch Bunny Barn |
The word used to refer to a rabbit farm. | |
| Registered | A rabbit has undergone inspection and been admitted into the official registry of the ARBA. A fee of $4 has been paid, an exclusive tattoo has been added to the rabbit's right ear, and a certificate of registration should accompany the rabbit's pedigree. Because registered rabbits have to be individually inspected by a licensed registrar, ARBA Registered rabbits are definitely a special class of animal. | ||
| Rex Fur | A type of fur found only on Rex and Mini Rex rabbits. The fur began as a genetic mutation in France. The velvet texture of rex fur comes from the absence of guard hairs. | ||
| Ring Color | The color of the intermediate portion of a hair shaft in an agouti coat of fur. | ||
| Roaster | A judging class where commercial rabbits are judged individually for their commercial quality. The rabbits must be under 6 months of age and weigh between 5 1/2 and 8 pounds. ARBA points and judging are separate for roasters, just like with meat pens and single fryers. They do not compete for BEST IN SHOW. | ||
| Rollback Fur | A type of fur that gradually returns to its natural position when stroked backwards from the tail towards the rabbit's head. Rollback fur returns slightly slower than flyback fur. This type of fur is found on Holland Lops. | ||
| Rump | The upper, rounded portion of the hindquarters. | ||
| Sanctioned Show (ARBA) | The show has been recognized by the ARBA and rabbits exibited can earn G.C. Legs. No other rabbit show within 300 miles of this show can be sanctioned for the same time, which helps exhibitor turnout. The secretary of the show is contracted to complete all paperwork related to the show within 30 days or the sponsoring club will be fined. | ||
| Sanctioned Show (Specialty) | A fee has been paid to a specialty club either by the club hosting the show or an individual to sanction the show. This means that points can be earned by members of the specialty club to go toward their sweepstakes. | ||
| Self | Self-Colored | A rabbit with the same-colored fur over the entire body, head, ears, feet, legs, and tail. The rabbit has no ticking, agouti pattern, or shadings. | |
| Senior | SR | In 4-class breeds, this is a rabbit over 6 months old. A senior is considered any rabbit over 8 months old in a 6-class breed. A rabbit can also be classified a senior if it has reached minimum senior weight and the breed standard allows showing in a higher class. This is true with Mini Rex and New Zealands. | |
| Shoulder | The uppermost joint in the foreleg that connects it with the body. | ||
| Show Catalog | A flyer or booklet mailed out before a show containing all the information exhibitors will need to know about the show. | ||
| Showroom Classes | Classes | Divisions of rabbits by age and weight in a show. | |
| Single Fryer | Market Rabbit | See "Market Rabbit". | |
| Sire | Father | The father of a rabbit. | |
| Slipped Crown | This is when the crown on a lop is too far forward or too far backward. This causes improper ear carriage. | ||
| Slipping Coat | A coat of fur that is shedding or molting. | ||
| Snipey | A word used to describe an elongated and narrow head. An undesirable appearance of extra leanness. | ||
| Solid | Solid-Colored | Having the same uniform color over the entire rabbit. There are no markings or shadings. This is sometimes a judging classification within a breed. In lops, this includes all non-broken rabbits. | |
| Sore Hocks | Ulcerations of the foot caused by prolonged contact with a rough or soiled floor. Heavier rabbits may get this from wire floors no matter what the condition of the floor is. | ||
| Specialty Show | A show with only one breed of rabbit. Specialty shows are usually more competitive than normal shows, because all of the exhibitors raise the same breed of rabbit. | ||
| Sport | A rabbit untrue to the characteristic markings of its breed. | ||
| Standard of Perfection | THE BOOK. A book published every 5 years by the ARBA that contains the standard of perfection (a description of the theoretically perfect animal) for every recognized breed. This is the book that rabbit breeders strive to match. | ||
| Stocky | A word used to describe a compact, stout, and cobby rabbit. | ||
| Strain | Bloodline | See "Bloodline". | |
| Sweepstakes | Specialty clubs keep a running tally of points earned at sanctioned shows by their members in the open and youth divisions. At the end of their show year, the specialty club gives out awards to the highest placings in several designated categories. | ||
| Tattoo | Ear Number | A permanent method of identification in the rabbit's left ear. This is required for a rabbit to compete in an ARBA sanctioned show. Usually a rabbitry chooses a single method of numbering and lettering for all their rabbits. | |
| Texture | The quality of the fur determined by touch or feel, described by words such as "fine" or "coarse". | ||
| Ticking | A distribution of longer guard hairs throughout the coat of fur of a different color than the undercoat. Ticking is usually produced by black-tipped guard hairs and adds to the beauty of the fur. | ||
| Trio | A buck and two does bought or sold together for the purpose of breeding. | ||
| Type | Body Type | A word used to refer to the body conformation of a rabbit. The general description of the physical makeup of the rabbit. | |
| Under Color | The color at the base of the hair shaft next to the skin. This is not the belly fur of the rabbit. | ||
| Undercoat | The softer underlying hairs on a coat of fur. | ||
| Variety | A division of a breed determined by color. | ||
| Weaning | Wean | The process of making young rabbits independent from the doe for nourishment and care. This is done when the rabbits are between 6 and 8 weeks old. | |
| Youth | A word used to describe a division of rabbit showing. "Youth" breeders, who are less than 18 years old, can compete in shows separately from "Open" breeders. | ||
| Please email mail@mnm-family.com or fill our our feedback form with additions or corrections to this page. We would like to make this dictionary as complete and accurate as possible! This page was written by Ryan Missey using the ARBA's Standard of Perfection as a reference. All original portions of this page are Copyright © 2004-07 Ryan Missey. Permission to print for educational use is granted. See our Terms of Usage page for more information. |
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