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.

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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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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

We were sitting at a wooden table near the bar at the far end of Bukowski Grill, a kitschy American-style steakhouse, with faux deer heads mounted on the walls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

“Her face just goes like a deer in the headlights,” he recalled.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

In the past, some in the community considered wild boar and deer pests for damaging their gardens and crops, she said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

UK flag and heart emojis are shown throughout the video, which also shows their son Archie running towards deer as their daughter Lilibet rides her bike.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

It must have been a deer, I think.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

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