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The meaning of a word often develops from the general to the specific. For instance, deer is used in modern English to mean several related forms of an animal species, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. The Old English deor, however, could refer to any animal, tame or wild, or to wild animals in general. In time, deer came to be used only for wild animals that were hunted, and then for the red deer, once widely hunted in England. From that usage the term has spread to related animals, becoming somewhat more general again.
Examples of deer in a Sentence
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025
Horse flies are larger (around 14 to 19 millimeters) than deer flies (around 10 to 13 millimeters), with clear versus patterned wings, the Extension says.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
The early and late antlerless firearm seasons are open on public and private lands in open deer management units.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Hoosiers could then apply to the DNR for hunting permits to help curb the deer populations and protect biodiversity on park properties.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deer
Cite this Entry
“Deer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deer. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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deer
nounOld English dēor "wild animal, beast"
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