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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
Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
In footage from their deer camera, she can be seen walking away from the house.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 12 July 2025
The buck moon is named for the time of the year when male deer, also known as bucks, are in full-growth of their antlers, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
—Brayden Garcia
july 10, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2025
Often, companies don’t have a well-thought-through PR and communications plan and haven’t given much training to the founder’s replacement, who then appears to be like a deer in headlights when fronted to the media—especially if there’s unanswered questions from the company’s founder.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 8 July 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 20 Jul. 2025.
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deer
nounOld English dēor "wild animal, beast"
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