deer

noun \ ˈdir \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of deer

plural deer also deers

1 archaic : animal; especially : a small mammal

2 : any of numerous slender-legged ruminant mammals (family Cervidae, the deer family) having usually brownish fur and antlers borne by the males of nearly all and by the females of a few forms

—

deerlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

See deer defined for English-language learners

See deer defined for kids

Recent Examples of deer from the Web

To the Lake County Forest Preserves board: Now the deer have six months to live and enjoy their lives.

— Lake County News-Sun, "Letters to the Editor: Leave the forest preserves alone," 12 Apr. 2018
Visit Janesville, his hometown in the dairylands of southern Wisconsin, and even Democratic-voting neighbours attest to Mr Ryan’s love of family, whether escorting his brood to church or taking his daughter on a first deer hunt.

— The Economist, "Paul Ryan’s retirement suggests his brand of conservatism has lost," 12 Apr. 2018
An officer found the deer dead, moved it to the side of the road and notified public works to remove it.

— kimberly fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Police blotter: Caterpillar loader used to break into storage unit at Burr Ridge construction site," 7 Apr. 2018
The deer then flew through the windshield of the woman’s Nissan Altima.

— christina tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Woman injured after deer crashes through car windshield in Baltimore County," 2 Apr. 2018
The Indiana Wildlife Federation also worried that removing an apex predator like the bobcat could weaken a key part of the food chain that helps control other populations such as deer.

— sarah bowman, Indianapolis Star, "Hoosiers to DNR: 'Stop the murder' of bobcats, raccoons, coyotes and opossums," 23 Mar. 2018
There are deer and songbirds and peregrine falcons, gopher snakes and owls and frogs.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "Developer wants townhouses. Neighbors want green acres. A fight brews in Northwest Boise | Idaho Statesman," 18 Mar. 2018
His wife had never seen the point of owning so many guns, especially when the only intruders on their property were raccoons and deer.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "He threatened to kill himself, so police took his guns," 17 Mar. 2018
Most of those strategies rely on non-lethal means, such as taking steps to protect domestic animals and wildlife, such as deer and wild turkeys, that coyotes prey on.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "The problem with coyotes: Killing them is ‘ineffective,’ NC says | Charlotte Observer," 5 Mar. 2018

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 year

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

DEER Defined for English Language Learners

deer

noun

Definition of deer for English Language Learners

: a large wild animal that has four long thin legs, brown fur, and antlers if male

DEER Defined for Kids

deer

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

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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up deer? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

deer

Definition of deer

deerlike

Recent Examples of deer from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of deer

Other Mammals Terms

DEER Defined for English Language Learners

deer

Definition of deer for English Language Learners

DEER Defined for Kids

deer

Definition of deer for Students

Learn More about deer

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

loath

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

Ask the Editors

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Words of the Year: 1066

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

More Confusing Words—Quiz

Name That Thing

Word Winder's CrossWinder

'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

Trending: HRC: Media Opened Door to 'Charlatans'

Going Greek: 7 Words from the Greek Alphabet

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

deer

Definition of deer

deerlike

Recent Examples of deer from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of deer

Other Mammals Terms

DEER Defined for English Language Learners

deer

Definition of deer for English Language Learners

DEER Defined for Kids

deer

Definition of deer for Students

Learn More about deer

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Complement' vs. 'Compliment'

Trending: HRC: Media Opened Door to 'Charlatans'

Going Greek: 7 Words from the Greek Alphabet

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes