Definition of 'deer'

COBUILD frequency band

deer

(dɪər

)

Word forms: plural deer language note: Deer is both the singular and the plural form.

countable noun

A deer is a large wild animal that eats grass and leaves. A male deer usually has large, branching horns.

Image of
deer

American English pronunciation

It seems that your browser is blocking this video content.

To access it, add this site to the exceptions or modify your security settings, then refresh this page.

British English pronunciation

It seems that your browser is blocking this video content.

To access it, add this site to the exceptions or modify your security settings, then refresh this page.

deer in American English

(dɪr )

nounWord forms: plural deer or deersOrigin: ME der < OE deor, wild animal, akin to Ger tier, ON dȳr < IE base *dhewes, *dheus-, to stir up, blow, breathe (> dusk, doze1, fury): for sense development cf. animal

any of a family (Cervidae) of ruminants, including the elk, moose, and reindeer; esp., the smaller species, as the white-tailed deer and mule deer: in most species, usually only the males grow and shed bony antlers annually

2. obsolete

any animal; beast

COBUILD frequency band

deer in American English

(dɪər)

nounWord forms: plural deer, occasionally deers

any of several ruminants of the family Cervidae, most of the males of which have solid, deciduous antlers

any of the smaller species of this family, as distinguished from the moose, elk, etc

Word origin

[bef. 900; ME der, OE dēor beast; akin to Goth dius beast, OHG tior]

COBUILD frequency band

deer in British English

(dɪə

)

nounWord forms: plural deer or deers

any ruminant artiodactyl mammal of the family Cervidae, including reindeer, elk, muntjacs, and roe deer, typically having antlers in the male

▶ Related adjective: cervine

2. (in N Canada) another name for caribou

Word origin

Old English dēor beast; related to Old High German tior wild beast, Old Norse dӯr

Examples of 'deer' in a sentence
deer

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.

We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…

You get a lot of deer passing through and badgers.It was still dark as we set off – a deer leapt across the road.We will have to wait and see how many survive the visiting deer and hare.How should we consider this rise in deer sightings and the relationship with our new neighbours?He eats some deer heart. Wild red deer have been hunted for both sport and food here for centuries.Look out for deer and wild boar.Its two bedrooms sleep up to four people and there are wild deer in the surrounding countryside.Another reason for the increase is the growing number of wild deer.But the deer population quickly fell.