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roe deer

noun

Definition of roe deer

: either of two small European or Asian deer (Capreolus capreolus and C. pygarus) that have short erect antlers forked at the summit, are reddish-brown in summer and grayish in winter, have a white rump patch, and are noted for their nimbleness and grace

Illustration of roe deer

Illustration of roe deer

Examples of roe deer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 The results of the cave study, published this past April in Scientific Reports, showed that bears, roe deer and bats were present in this region at least as far back as 80,000 years ago. — Quanta Magazine, "Ancient DNA Yields Snapshots of Vanished Ecosystems," 29 May 2019 To this day, the Lamarche family and their guests use the estate to hunt roe deer and wild boar. — WSJ, "A Belgian Castle With a Heroic Past," 13 Feb. 2019

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

First Known Use of roe deer

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with roe deer

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about roe deer

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