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Definition of deer
deer
alsodeers
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
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Recent Examples of deer from the Web
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Using a light yellow-tinted powder, like the one in the Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette, begin shading these areas to contrast the contour and give your face more deer-like dimension. 4. Contour your eyes with nude shadows.
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Over the years, the Bordens have cremated iguanas, kangaroos, alpacas, deer, parakeets, squirrels, dogs, cats, goldfish, miniature ponies and more.
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Rosenstock once found deer bones arranged atop the memorial.
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The deer eventually got out of the pool and the animal control officer guided her out of the yard, the story reported.
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Even more intriguing, scientists found through scenes caught on camera that some animals—deer and bear among them—were teaching their young to use the crossings.
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On that trip, one night a plate of fried bees, deer tendon, and goat fetus was delivered.
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Elk are nothing if not majestic: the gigantic deer relatives are imposing, to say the least.
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Numerous variations were made, and some were imported into the United States until 1994 as deer rifles.
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
DEER Defined for English Language Learners
deer
playDefinition 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
deer
playDefinition of deer for Students
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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