deer

noun

ˈdir 

plural deer also deers

1

: any of various slender-legged, even-toed, ruminant mammals (family Cervidae, the deer family) having usually brownish fur and deciduous antlers borne by the males of nearly all and by the females only of the caribou : cervid

2

archaic : animal

especially : a small mammal

deerlike

ˈdir-ˌlīk 

adjective

Did you know?

The meaning of a word often develops from the general to the specific. For instance, deer is used in modern English to mean several related forms of an animal species, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. The Old English deor, however, could refer to any animal, tame or wild, or to wild animals in general. In time, deer came to be used only for wild animals that were hunted, and then for the red deer, once widely hunted in England. From that usage the term has spread to related animals, becoming somewhat more general again.

Examples of deer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What a great prank to pull on your deer hunting buddy. —Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025

Though the disease is not known to spread to people, the CDC recommends against consuming meat from infected deer, and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officials said people should not eat meat from animals that look sick or in poor condition. —Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025

According to GoFundMe, created by David Zank, Joel’s father, the trio was heading to southern Iowa on a deer hunting trip that Friday to spend time together as a family. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

Thompson is perfectly paired with Wilson, an actor who can go from disheveled wallflower to calculating plotter to deer-in-the-headlights comic fighter with a widening of the eye or twisting of the lips. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, deer, animal, from Old English dēor beast; akin to Old High German tior wild animal, Lithuanian dvasia breath, spirit

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing deer

• axis deer
• barking deer
• black-tailed deer
• deer mouse
• deer tick
• fallow deer
• key deer
• mule deer
• musk deer
• red deer
• roe deer
• white-tailed deer

Rhymes for deer

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear
• here

Kids Definition

deer

noun

ˈdi(ə)r 

plural deer

: any of a family of cloven-hoofed cud-chewing mammals (as an elk, a caribou, or a white-tailed deer) of which the males of almost all species have antlers while the females of only a few species do

Etymology

Old English dēor "wild animal, beast"

Word Origin

The meaning of a word often develops from the general to the specific. For instance, deer is used in modern English to mean several related forms, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. The Old English dēor, however, could refer to any animal, tame or wild, or to wild animals in general. In time, deer came to be used only for wild animals that were hunted and then for the red deer, once widely hunted in England. From that usage the term has spread to related animals, becoming somewhat more general again.