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

If arriving from the south, on the way, stop in Glen Etive to experience the docile deer who will eat from your hand in their droves—a real spectacle. —Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026

The deer can no longer be heard. —Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026

Colton Johnson, owner of Midwest Aerial Drone Services, has used heat-sensing drones to help hunters recover deer and reunite missing dogs with their owners. —CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026

Some of us find a connection with nature by chasing deer in forests or watching birds in flight. —Mike Kurlansky, Outside, 29 Mar. 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.