/ ˈbʌni; NAmE / noun
( pl. -ies ) (also ˈbunny rabbit ) a child's word for a rabbit
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IDIOMS
see happy adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent. (originally used as a term of endearment to a person, later as a pet name for a rabbit): from dialect bun squirrel, rabbit , also used as a term of endearment, of unknown origin.