Illustration of white-tailed deer
white-tailed deer
noun
: a North American deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with a rather long tail white on the undersurface and the males of which have forward-arching antlers
called also whitetail deer
Examples of white-tailed deer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The biggest python ever captured weighed a whopping 215 pounds and had recently consumed an entire white-tailed deer.
—
Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife says hunters checked 71,932 white-tailed deer at the conclusion of the week on Sunday, nearly 2,000 more than in 2021.
—Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 6 Dec. 2022
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced Wednesday that a white-tailed deer at a Vernon County deer farm tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2022
In some places, the lizard-like animals make up a huge part of entire forest populations, rivaling even white-tailed deer in number.
—Sarah Jay, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2021
But larger animals aren’t safe either; people have spotted these pythons swallowing alligators and white-tailed deer whole.
—Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 7 Dec. 2022
The state maintains the most robust deer population of any state in the nation, about 5.4 million animals, according the latest estimate from Texas Parks Wildlife Department white-tailed deer program leader Alan Cain.
—Matt Williams, Dallas News, 27 Oct. 2022
Maine hasn’t seen the disease among its white-tailed deer population, but regularly tests for the disease as a precaution, said Mark Latti, spokesman for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
—Ben Kesling, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2022
Their diet includes insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals, such as squirrels, rabbits or white-tailed deer.
—Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 14 Dec. 2022
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Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife says hunters checked 71,932 white-tailed deer at the conclusion of the week on Sunday, nearly 2,000 more than in 2021.
—Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 6 Dec. 2022
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced Wednesday that a white-tailed deer at a Vernon County deer farm tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2022
In some places, the lizard-like animals make up a huge part of entire forest populations, rivaling even white-tailed deer in number.
—Sarah Jay, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2021
But larger animals aren’t safe either; people have spotted these pythons swallowing alligators and white-tailed deer whole.
—Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 7 Dec. 2022
The state maintains the most robust deer population of any state in the nation, about 5.4 million animals, according the latest estimate from Texas Parks Wildlife Department white-tailed deer program leader Alan Cain.
—Matt Williams, Dallas News, 27 Oct. 2022
Maine hasn’t seen the disease among its white-tailed deer population, but regularly tests for the disease as a precaution, said Mark Latti, spokesman for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
—Ben Kesling, WSJ, 17 Dec. 2022
Their diet includes insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals, such as squirrels, rabbits or white-tailed deer.
—Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 14 Dec. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'white-tailed 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
First Known Use
1829, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of white-tailed deer was
in 1829
Dictionary Entries Near white-tailed deer
Cite this Entry
“White-tailed deer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-tailed%20deer. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
white-tailed deer
nounˌhwīt-ˌtāl-ˈdi(ə)r,
ˌwīt-
: a North American deer that has a rather long tail which is white on the underside and antlers which arch forward
called also whitetail deer
More from Merriam-Webster on white-tailed deer
Nglish: Translation of white-tailed deer for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about white-tailed deer
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