: 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
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 WebAt the policy level, agriculture wants to reduce wildlife populations in order to protect livestock, reduce crop damage, and to reduce the number of deer and automobile collisions.—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024 The river’s drawdown exposed mud, which has trapped deer and revealed dead fish, mostly of non-native species such as bass and catfish.—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Motor to an elevated observation area in a postcard-perfect remote valley to safely observe bears, deer, and bald eagles in their natural habitats.—Janice Wald Henderson, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2024 It has been spotted in deer, elk, reindeer and moose in areas of the U.S., Canada, Norway and South Korea.—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2024 Sharp-eyed kids could also spot deer, foxes, beavers, rabbits and more.—Jen Guadarrama, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Mar. 2024 Other large wildlife found at the preserve include bobcats, coyotes, deer, feral hogs and even the occasional Florida black bear sighting, Prout says.—Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 What This Means For You A change in reporting has led to a rise in Lyme disease cases in the U.S., but experts say cases have also been increasing due to changes in climate patterns, shifts in land use, and a rise in deer populations.—Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 23 Feb. 2024 Other posts show several deer inside the home, begging for food at the kitchen counter, and being hand fed human food like cheese and oranges.—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of deer was
before the 12th century
: 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.
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