Definition of deer
plural deer
also deers
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Recent Examples of deer from the Web
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Since habitat loss is the main reason for its decline, the district works to preserve the habitat, managing the site with prescribed burnings and brush clearing, and trying to prevent deer from eating certain plants.
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Big Sky Country averages seven people, one pronghorn antelope, one elk, and three deer per square mile.
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Rock Creek Park, north of downtown Washington, has been holding a contentious hunt to cull deer since 2013 to save the park's native plants.
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The Pennsylvania Game Commission, meanwhile, is forbidding hunters from bringing whole deer carcasses back into the state from neighboring New York, Ohio, Maryland and West Virginia.
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The monster’s legend dates back nearly 2,000 years, to a northern Scottish tribe that carved images of a strange, flippered beast into its nature artwork — among the usual depictions of geese, horses, and deer.
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Under his gruff exterior there was a soft spot which included making sure the birds and deer were fed throughout the winter months.
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Oregon State Police began its investigation in November 2016 after finding two decapitated deer carcasses.
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No wild animals, such as deer, were included in those burials.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Origin and Etymology of deer
Middle English, deer, animal, from Old English dēor beast; akin to Old High German tior wild animal, Lithuanian dvasia breath, spirit
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: before 12th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearDEER Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of deer for English Language Learners
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: a large wild animal that has four long thin legs, brown fur, and antlers if male
DEER Defined for Kids
noun
\
ˈdir
\
Definition of deer for Students
plural deer
: a mammal that has cloven hoofs and in the male antlers which are often branched
Learn More about deer
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See words that rhyme with deer Spanish Central: Translation of deer Nglish: Translation of deer for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of deer for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deer
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