Welsh rabbit

noun

1. a dish of melted cheese, usually mixed with ale or beer, milk, and spices, served over toast.

Welsh rabbit

noun

1. Also called: Welsh rarebit.  rarebit. a savoury dish consisting of melted cheese sometimes mixed with milk, seasonings, etc, on hot buttered toast

Word History and Origins

Origin of Welsh rabbit¹

First recorded in 1715–25; probably of jocular origin; later Welsh rarebit by folk etymology

Word History and Origins

Origin of Welsh rabbit¹

C18: a fanciful coinage; rarebit is a later folk-etymological variant

Example Sentences

The name Welsh rarebit appeared much later, with early English cookbooks, such as Hannah Glasse's in 1747, using terms including Welsh rabbit and Scotch rabbit for similar cheese on toast recipes.

From BBC

“Little darling!—with her long curls and her blue eyes, and such a sweet colour as she has; just as if she were painted!—Bessie, I could fancy a Welsh rabbit for supper.”

From Literature

In 1972: sautéed frog legs Provençal, creamed Welsh rabbit on a Holland rusk, and, in a gust of brand names, “Hollywood Diet Bread” and “Steamed Uncle Ben’s Rice.”

From New York Times

Welsh rabbit, is an odd-sounding name for a dish that’s several hundred years old and has nothing to do with bunnies.

From Washington Post

Rabbit with a bite: Whatever you think of British cuisine in general, they certainly got it right with Welsh rabbit.

From Los Angeles Times