Père David's deer

[pair dah-veedz deer, pair dey-vidz]

noun

1. a medium-sized, reddish-gray deer, Elaphurus davidianus, of which stocks were obtained in Beijing (formerly, Peking) in 1865 and brought to parks in Europe before the remaining Chinese deer were killed in 1900: the species is sustained in captivity.

Père David's deer

noun

1. a large grey deer, Elaphurus davidianus, surviving only in captivity as descendants of a herd preserved in the Imperial hunting park near Beijing

Word History and Origins

Origin of Père David's deer¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; named after Père Armand David (1826–1900), French missionary, the deer's first European observer

Word History and Origins

Origin of Père David's deer¹

C20: named after Father A. David (died 1900), French missionary