doe
1 Americannoun
plural
does,plural
doe-
Also d.o.e. depends on experience; depending on experience: used in stating a salary range in help-wanted ads.
abbreviation
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(in Canada and, formerly, in Britain) Department of the Environment
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(in the US) Department of Energy
noun
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law (formerly) the plaintiff in a fictitious action, Doe versus Roe, to test a point of law See also Roe
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an unknown or unidentified male or female person
noun
Etymology
Origin of doe
First recorded before 1000; Middle English do, Old English dā; cognate with Danish daa; akin to Old English dēon “to suck”
Explanation
A doe is a deer, a female deer. Doe can also refer to the female of other animals, but it’s usually a deer. You might spot a doe in the spring, walking through the woods with her babies. There are several four-legged mammals whose females are called does, including goats, antelopes, and even rabbits. The males are called bucks. The words doe and buck are like woman and man for the furry set. Oddly, you can also refer to female guinea pigs, mice, and weasels as does, although doe usually means a deer. The word comes from the Old English da, or "female deer," which probably stems from a Celtic root.
Vocabulary lists containing doe
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The “Christmas magic” that allows the doe to fly does not work on other creatures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
"Walking through the woods, I spotted this roe doe grazing the foliage," says Walker-Nix.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2024
However, biologists say that’s not nearly enough, given that each doe produces two fawns each year.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2023
She was, of course, extraordinarily beautiful, with big doe eyes and the kind of bone structure no surgery can replicate.
From Salon • Jul. 27, 2023
It was a silver-white doe, moon-bright and dazzling, picking her way over the ground, still silent, and leaving no hoofprints in the fine powdering of snow.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
