deer

noun

ˈdir

plural deer also deers

: 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

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 Wheeler also suggests being realistic about deer browsing issues. —

Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 For a 2001 study, the cognitive scientist Tecumseh Fitch cajoled goats, dogs, deer and other species to vocalize while inside a cineradiograph machine that filmed the way their larynxes moved under X-ray. —

Sonia Shah, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023 On the last morning of his life, Shinzo Abe arrived in the Japanese city of Nara, famous for its ancient pagodas and sacred deer. —

Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2023 The hunter Friday was tracking a deer when the bear attacked, according to the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office. —

CBS News, 9 Sep. 2023 Faster, quieter, sturdier cars mean that drivers can now dispatch large mammals such as deer and moose, in addition to countless birds and insects. —

Timothy Farrington, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2023 The only way to truly learn how to skin a deer is, well, to skin a deer. —

Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 7 Sep. 2023 Wolves primarily feed on large ungulates, including deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, caribou, bison, and wild boar. —

Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 14 Sep. 2023 Take a rugged ride through the brush, mud, and swamps of Florida and search for alligators, deer, and all kinds of wildlife on the ranch. —

Anna Mahan, Country Living, 10 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of deer was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Deer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deer. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

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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.