Deer

Deer
Deer Deer (d[=e]r), n. sing. & pl. [OE. der, deor, animal, wild animal, AS. de['o]r; akin to D. dier, OFries. diar, G. thier, tier, Icel. d[=y]r, Dan. dyr, Sw. djur, Goth. dius; of unknown origin. [root]71.] 1. Any animal; especially, a wild animal. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Mice and rats, and such small deer. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

The camel, that great deer. --Lindisfarne MS. [1913 Webster]

2. (Zo["o]l.) A ruminant of the genus {Cervus}, of many species, and of related genera of the family {Cervid[ae]}. The males, and in some species the females, have solid antlers, often much branched, which are shed annually. Their flesh, for which they are hunted, is called {venison}. [1913 Webster]

Note: The deer hunted in England is {Cervus elaphus}, called also stag or {red deer}; the fallow deer is {Cervus dama}; the common American deer is {Cervus Virginianus}; the blacktailed deer of Western North America is {Cervus Columbianus}; and the mule deer of the same region is {Cervus macrotis}. See {Axis}, {Fallow deer}, {Mule deer}, {Reindeer}. [1913 Webster]

Note: Deer is much used adjectively, or as the first part of a compound; as, deerkiller, deerslayer, deerslaying, deer hunting, deer stealing, deerlike, etc. [1913 Webster]

{Deer mouse} (Zo["o]l.), the white-footed mouse ({Peromyscus leucopus}, formerly {Hesperomys leucopus}) of America.

{Small deer}, petty game, not worth pursuing; -- used metaphorically. (See citation from Shakespeare under the first definition, above.) ``Minor critics . . . can find leisure for the chase of such small deer.'' --G. P. Marsh. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • deer — (dîr) n. pl. deer ▸ Any of various hoofed ruminant mammals of the family Cervidae, characteristically having deciduous antlers borne chiefly by the males. The deer family includes the white tailed deer, elk, moose, and caribou. ╂ [Middle English… …   Word Histories

  • Deer — heißen: Deer (Arkansas), Vereinigten Staaten Deer (Missouri), Vereinigten Staaten Deer (New Mexico), Vereinigten Staaten Deér, namentlich: Josef Deér (József, 1905–1972), ungarischer Historiker Siehe auch: John Deere, Landmaschinenhersteller… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • deer — [ dır ] (plural deer or deers) noun count * a large brown animal with long thin legs. The adult male deer is called a stag and may have antlers growing from its head. The female deer is called a doe and a young deer is called a fawn …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • deer — O.E. deor animal, beast, from P.Gmc. *deuzam, the general Germanic word for animal (as opposed to man), but often restricted to wild animal (Cf. O.Fris. diar, Du. dier, O.N. dyr, O.H.G. tior, Ger. Tier animal, Goth. dius wild animal, also Cf. R …   Etymology dictionary

  • deer — [dir] n. pl. deer or deers [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] 1. any of a family (Cervidae) of… …   English World dictionary

  • deer — [dıə US dır] n plural deer ↑antler [: Old English; Origin: deor animal ] a large wild animal that can run very fast, eats grass, and has horns …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • deer — ► NOUN (pl. same) ▪ a hoofed grazing or browsing animal, the male of which usually has branched bony antlers that are shed annually. ORIGIN Old English, originally also denoting any quadruped …   English terms dictionary

  • Deer — This article is about the ruminant animal. For other uses, see Deer (disambiguation). Fawn and Stag redirect here. For other uses, see Fawn (disambiguation) and Stag (disambiguation). Deer Temporal range: Early Oligocene–Recent …   Wikipedia

  • deer — /dear/, n., pl. deer, (occasionally) 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.… …   Universalium

  • Deér — Josef Deér (auch: József Deér) (* 4. März 1905 in Budapest; † 26. September 1972 in Bern) war ein ungarischer Historiker. Der Sohn eines Apothekers und einer Lehrerin studierte von 1923 bis 1929 an den Universitäten Budapest und Wien Geschichte.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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