deer

noun

ˈdir 

plural deer also deers

1

: 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

2

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

Walker’s Harley-Davidson struck the deer near Beaverdam Road, overturned, skidded crossed the center line and ran off the road, Freeman said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026

Taking a page from the early Wales Bonners collab that helped drive demand for the Samba, the sneaker has seen pony hair renditions with cheetah, leopard and deer since early in 2025. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Because of the drought, woodland deer food is not abundant in most of the state this year, and what exists is in poor condition with low nutritional value. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026

According to the agency, the suspects admitted to illegally killing the deer and trying to conceal the evidence. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing deer

• axis deer
• barking deer
• black-tailed deer
• deer mouse
• deer tick
• fallow deer
• key deer
• mule deer
• musk deer
• red deer
• roe deer
• white-tailed deer

Rhymes for deer

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear
• here

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.