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.

---

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

---

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

Dave Kingman and Rob Deer forged solid careers despite low batting averages and high strikeout rates, because they hit a bunch of homers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Dr Mike Daniel, who runs a Sustainable Deer Management course at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Perth, says: "Ecologically, wolves and lynx could thrive in the UK."

From BBC • Dec. 25, 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

The Tule River acquisition restores some of the tribe’s sacred homeland, and will enable a host of conservation projects, including protecting the Deer Creek watershed, protecting habitat for California condors and reintroducing tule elk.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025

“So is there anything interesting in Deer Hill? Besides potentially living in a horror movie.”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows