Definition of roe deer
: either of two small European or Asian deer (Capreolus capreolus and C. pygarus) that have short erect antlers forked at the summit, are reddish-brown in summer and grayish in winter, have a white rump patch, and are noted for their nimbleness and grace
Illustration of roe deer
Examples of roe deer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Mile-long walls enclose a park filled with roe deer and white stags.
—
The Economist, "Home Entertainment Confined in prison, Marco Polo roamed across the world," 23 May 2020 Those animals that can’t match the rate of warming and delay breeding, like the roe deer and Columbian ground squirrels, don’t raise as many young.
—
National Geographic, "Some animals can adapt to climate change—just not fast enough," 19 Aug. 2019 The results of the cave study, published this past April in Scientific Reports, showed that bears, roe deer and bats were present in this region at least as far back as 80,000 years ago.
—
Quanta Magazine, "Ancient DNA Yields Snapshots of Vanished Ecosystems," 29 May 2019 To this day, the Lamarche family and their guests use the estate to hunt roe deer and wild boar.
—
WSJ, "A Belgian Castle With a Heroic Past," 13 Feb. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'roe deer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on roe deer
What made you want to look up roe deer? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
- What is an earlier meaning of nice?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share roe deer
Time Traveler for roe deer
The first known use of roe deer was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century