hutch
n. countablen. a wooden or metal cage used for keeping small animals like rabbits. It usually has a wire front so the animals can see out and get fresh air.
n. a wooden or metal enclosure, typically with a wire mesh front, used for housing small domestic animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs.
We built a large hutch for our new pet rabbit.
The children spent the afternoon cleaning the hutch and providing fresh hay for their guinea pigs.
While modern animal welfare standards often recommend larger runs, the traditional hutch remains a common sight in suburban gardens for housing small mammals overnight.
From Middle English hucche (“storage chest”), variation of whucce, from Old English hwiċe, hwiċċe (“box, chest”). Spelling influenced by Old French huche (“chest”), from Medieval Latin hūtica, from a different Germanic root, from Frankish hutta, from Proto-Germanic hudjō, *hudjǭ (“box, hut, hutch”). Akin to Old English hȳdan (“to conceal; hide”). More at hide, hut. (cricket pavilion or dressing room): An extension of the rabbit metaphor.
Often used with 'rabbit' as a compound noun ('rabbit hutch').