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deer

noun
\ ˈdir How to pronounce deer (audio) \
plural deer also deers

Definition of deer

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
Other Words from deer Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about deer

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Other Words from deer

deerlike \ ˈdir-​ˌlīk How to pronounce deerlike (audio) \ 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

 Or as deer-in-the-headlights panicked as the 20-something woman after him? — Corey Seymour, Vogue, "Do You Have What It Takes to Be a US Open Ballperson? I Thought I Did.," 29 Aug. 2019 Elena can spot a deer at 100 yards or a soaring redtail heading for a distant deadfall. — Jim Gronaw, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Jim Gronaw: When kids go fishing, it sure is fun," 24 Aug. 2019 When a deer appears in the middle of the dark road, the waiter veers and the car crashes into a lake. — Carrie Wittmer, Harper's BAZAAR, "Succession Season 1: What You Need to Remember Before the New Season," 11 Aug. 2019 Chronic wasting disease first was discovered in a Michigan free-ranging deer in May 2015. — Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan adopts deer hunting rules for Lower Peninsula to halt chronic wasting disease," 15 July 2019 Ivie had killed deer in the past to help feed his family. — David Montero, latimes.com, "Mormon, Republican and gay: Politician Nathan Ivie breaks new ground for Utah," 10 June 2019 Ivie had killed deer in the past to help feed his family. — David Montero, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Mormon, Republican and gay: Politician Nathan Ivie breaks new ground for Utah," 10 June 2019 Lyndhurst killed 13 deer in 2016, and 19 last year. — Jeff Piorkowski/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "South Euclid Councilwoman seeks way to manage deer population; Lyndhurst again has permit to cull," 9 Jan. 2018 The reason for low tiger density in these areas is that these parts of the country is especially prone to rampant poaching of prey species like deer and wild pigs. — Mayank Aggarwal, Quartz India, "Can the uptick in India’s tiger population continue while their habitats shrink?," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of deer

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for deer

Middle English, deer, animal, from Old English dēor beast; akin to Old High German tior wild animal, Lithuanian dvasia breath, spirit

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More Definitions for deer

deer

noun
How to pronounce deer (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of deer

: a large wild animal that has four long thin legs, brown fur, and antlers if male

See the full definition for deer in the English Language Learners Dictionary

deer

noun
\ ˈdir How to pronounce deer (audio) \
plural deer

Kids Definition of deer

: a mammal that has cloven hoofs and in the male antlers which are often branched

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