Meanings
nounrabbit punch (plural rabbit punches)
plural rabbit punches
- A chopping punch to the back of the neck or head.
Bond doubled over with the pain and to shield himself from another blow, only to get a rabbit punch on the back of the neck which made him arch back again, the breath whistling through his teeth.
1953, Ian Fleming, “The Crawling of the Skin”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 112
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
From the use of a similar technique by hunters to kill rabbits.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan cop de puny a la nuca
- cop de puny a la nucaa chopping punch to the back of the neck or head
Finnish niskalyönti
- niskalyöntia chopping punch to the back of the neck or head
French coup du lapin
- coup du lapina chopping punch to the back of the neck or head
German Nackenschlag, Genickschlag
- Nackenschlaga chopping punch to the back of the neck or head
- Genickschlaga chopping punch to the back of the neck or head
Cite this entry
APA
rabbit punch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rabbit%20punch
MLA
“rabbit punch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rabbit%20punch. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rabbit punch,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rabbit%20punch.
Source: rabbit punch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.