cottontail
noun
cot·ton·tail
ˈkä-tᵊn-ˌtāl 
: any of several rather small North American rabbits (genus Sylvilagus) sandy to grayish brown in color with a white-tufted underside of the tail
Examples of cottontail in a Sentence
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The cottontail rabbit papillomavirus is specific to rabbits and cannot infect other species, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images What To Know
Locals have described the growths as scabby patches with black, toothpick-like or quill-like protrusions around the mouth and face of cottontail rabbits spotted in yards and parks in Fort Collins, according to the WFSB report.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
While wild rabbits mostly just develop warts when infected with cottontail papillomavirus, domestic rabbits experience much more severe illness, says Thomas M. Donnelly, a veterinarian who specializes in laboratory animal medicine and has studied the virus.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
The growths are caused by rabbit or shope papilloma virus, which is spread between cottontail rabbits through direct contact or biting insects such as fleas and ticks, Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
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Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images What To Know
Locals have described the growths as scabby patches with black, toothpick-like or quill-like protrusions around the mouth and face of cottontail rabbits spotted in yards and parks in Fort Collins, according to the WFSB report.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
While wild rabbits mostly just develop warts when infected with cottontail papillomavirus, domestic rabbits experience much more severe illness, says Thomas M. Donnelly, a veterinarian who specializes in laboratory animal medicine and has studied the virus.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
The growths are caused by rabbit or shope papilloma virus, which is spread between cottontail rabbits through direct contact or biting insects such as fleas and ticks, Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cottontail
Cite this Entry
“Cottontail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottontail. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cottontail
noun
cot·ton·tail
ˈkät-ᵊn-ˌtāl
: any of several small brownish gray rabbits with a fluffy tail that is white on the underside
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