deer

noun

\ ˈdir

plural deer also deers

Definition of deer

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

Other Words from deer Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about deer

Keep scrolling for more

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

Those were her feelings on one of her early designs, a pop-up deer head with visible folds, just like a kids' book. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "These Beautiful Peacock Lights Are Inspired By Pop-Up Books," 15 Nov. 2018 The title comes from a baby deer’s bleat during mating season. — Megan Friedman, Country Living, "Carrie Underwood’s Husband Mike Fisher Released a Hilarious Parody of ‘Before He Cheats’," 6 Nov. 2018 One image shows an Awá hunter with a small deer on his back while holding his bow and arrows with a hunting dog following behind. — Fox News, "Inside the Amazon’s ‘world’s most endangered tribe’ who bathes with turtles and and eats armadillos," 1 Oct. 2018 Drake, 45, is a gun owner, with a deer head mounted on his office wall. — Molly Hennessy-fiske, latimes.com, "Santa Fe, unlike Parkland, says the issue behind the latest school shooting isn't guns," 20 May 2018 The chandeliers, art and mounted deer heads are making the move from Bay View to the Harbor District, and Colleen Drew of DrewArt will be replicating the wall treatment. — Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Boone & Crockett's new (and bigger) home in Harbor District is near," 13 Apr. 2018 The company has nonetheless kept a low profile, supplying gun accessories and other gear to hunters, police and outdoor enthusiasts from its 110,000-square-foot facility, whose lobby is adorned with mounted deer heads and military paraphernalia. — Robert Channick, chicagotribune.com, "As Illinois lawmakers pursue bump stock ban, Northbrook online retailer can't keep enough in stock," 16 Mar. 2018 During the class, remember to look out at the trees, to the sculptures smattered throughout, to the family of deer that will surely be grazing ahead. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "This Open-Air Yoga Studio in the Hamptons Is a Dream Getaway," 16 Aug. 2018 An illness similar to mad-cow disease that is fatal to deer is spreading across the U.S., worrying hunters, wildlife-management officials and scientists. — Cameron Mcwhirter, WSJ, "Disease Threatening Deer Population Has Spread to 26 States," 7 Feb. 2019

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.