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

Illustration of white-tailed deer

Illustration of white-tailed 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

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 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

white-tailed deer

noun
ˌhwīt-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

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