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

Their palatability probably explains why gardeners around here half-jokingly refer to them as ‘deer candy’. —Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2024

In fact, growing season burns are critical for deer health overall. —Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 12 July 2024

The reasons for the rise in Lyme range from deer populations to climate change. —Ashwin Rodrigues, Outside Online, 11 July 2024

In the upper peninsula, officials would reinstate coyote season year-round, allow antlerless deer to be hunted with archery equipment only, eliminate antlerless permits in certain regions, enact a three point restriction and create hunter safety courses for local schools. —Carly Moran | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 July 2024

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

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.