Deer mouse

Deer mouse
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 mouse — ☆ deer mouse n. a mostly North American, white footed mouse (genus Peromyscus) * * * or white footed mouse Any of about 60 species (genus Peromyscus, family Cricetidae) of small, delicate rodents that are active at night and are found in habitats …   Universalium

  • deer mouse — Mouse Mouse (mous), n.; pl. {Mice} (m[imac]s). [OE. mous, mus, AS. m[=u]s, pl. m[=y]s; akin to D. muis, G. maus, OHG. & Icel. m[=u]s, Dan. muus, Sw. mus, Russ. muishe, L. mus, Gr. my^s, Skr. m[=u]sh mouse, mush to steal. [root]277. Cf. {Muscle},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • deer mouse — deer′ mouse n. mam white footed mouse • Etymology: 1825–35, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • deer mouse — ☆ deer mouse n. a mostly North American, white footed mouse (genus Peromyscus) …   English World dictionary

  • deer mouse — noun brownish New World mouse; most widely distributed member of the genus • Syn: ↑Peromyscus maniculatus • Hypernyms: ↑wood mouse • Member Holonyms: ↑Peromyscus, ↑genus Peromyscus * * * noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • deer mouse — fieldmouse fieldmouse, field mouse field mouse . 1. (Zo[ o]l.) any nocturnal Old World mouse of the genus {Apodemus} inhabing woods and fields and gardens. [WordNet 1.5] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) any mouse inhabiting fields, as the {campagnol} and the {deer… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • deer mouse — elninis žiurkėnukas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Peromyscus maniculatus angl. deer mouse vok. Hirschmaus rus. олений хомячок pranc. souris du soir; souris sylvestre ryšiai: platesnis terminas –… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • deer mouse. — See white footed mouse. [1825 35, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • deer mouse — noun a mainly nocturnal mouse found in North and Central America. [Peromyscus maniculatus and related species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • deer mouse — /ˈdɪə maʊs/ (say dear mows) noun any of several species of mice, family Cricetidae, especially the widely distributed white footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, of North America …  

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