deer

American  

[deer] / dɪər /

noun

• deer,
  plural
• deers
  plural

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• deer
  plural
• deers
  plural

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

See Examples For:

deer deers

Booming deer populations in The Broads are becoming a growing issue as the animals can cause damage to the environment through grazing.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

In order to unlock space for thousands of homes, developers would pay money that could create new wetlands, fund deer culls and restore rivers.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

An aerial drone survey in March counted 4,681 white-tailed deer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

He lost his favorite deer hunting spot to cinder blocks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

He pulls in the crowds with half-fakes like the "Woolly Horse," a strange, long-haired horse that Barnum declares is a newly discovered species, being part deer, buffalo, elephant, camel, and sheep.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

He asked, “Are there dead deers in mythology that are significant?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026

“There are deers behind the El Cariso Park and the L.A. Mission College, Lopez Dam and near another county dam higher up on the Pacoima River wash,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2024

“The people we put in the game, they’re never scared. There’s no deers in the headlights,” Wood said.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 25, 2022

“There were years when we actually had so many deers donated that we ran out of money,” said Bud Thomas, the group’s longtime treasurer.

From New York Times ● Nov. 24, 2021

Mr. Polite said I throwed up so plentiful that didn’t no deers nor rabbits die in the woods for five years after.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis