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

Example Sentences

But he also has a penchant for deer, beef and the occasional chicken.

From BBC

Ben Martill often gazes out of his window to watch the deer roaming below.

From BBC

We plodded through the powder, passing deer tracks as we moved, until we reached a small clearing with several promising candidates.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its walls are decorated with American flags, deer mounts and Western movie posters.

From The Wall Street Journal

As climate change concerns mount, some catering services are turning to deer meat as a low-carbon alternative to farmed livestock like beef.

From Barron's