deer

American  

[deer] / dɪər /

noun

plural

deer,

plural

deers

1. any of several ruminants of the family Cervidae, most of the males of which have solid, deciduous antlers.

2. any of the smaller species of this family, as distinguished from the moose, elk, etc.

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deer British  

/ dɪə /

noun

1. any ruminant artiodactyl mammal of the family Cervidae, including reindeer, elk, muntjacs, and roe deer, typically having antlers in the male

2. (in N Canada) another name for caribou

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Etymology

Origin of deer

before 900; Middle English der, Old English dēor beast; akin to Gothic dius beast, Old High German tior

Compare meaning

How does deer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• reindeer vs. deer
• caribou vs. deer

Explanation

A deer is a four-legged, hoofed animal with antlers. Disney’s Bambi is a famous deer. There are deer all over the world, but American deer are light brown, and are often found nibbling on plants at dusk. The main thing that distinguishes deer from other horned animals, like antelope, is that deer shed their antlers once a year and grow new ones. A female deer, called a "doe," has smaller antlers than the male, or "buck." The Old English root of deer, deor, means "beast" or "animal," and was originally used generally to refer to all four-legged wild animals.

Example Sentences

Herman Law took out a loan in 2021 from a Delaware-registered company affiliated with Deer Finance, according to a loan notice.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

But the venison market is saturated, warned Peter Windsor of the Irish Deer Society, which works to protect and maintain Ireland's wild deer herds.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro will take to the main stage at Lowther Deer Park, in the Lake District, following the success of their 10th studio album Futique.

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025

We see this because we’re developing a giant mountain ski resort in Utah called Deer Valley East Village in conjunction with Deer Valley Resort.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

“There’s a thing for Junior Miss Deer Hill this afternoon. I still can’t believe someone nominated me. I’m just too busy! But I’ll do it, obviously. I can’t disappoint my fans.”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows