FromMiddle Englishdeere,dere,der,dier,deor(“small animal, deer”), fromOld Englishdēor(“animal”), fromProto-West Germanic*deuʀ, fromProto-Germanic*deuzą, fromProto-Indo-European*dʰewsóm(“living thing”), from*dʰéws(“breath”), full-grade derivative of*dʰwes-.

Cognate withScotsdere,deir(“deer”),North Frisiandier(“animal, beast”),West Frisiandier(“animal, beast”),Dutchdier(“animal, beast”),German Low GermanDeer,Deert(“animal”),GermanTier(“animal, beast”),Swedishdjur(“animal, beast”),Norwegiandyr(“animal, beast”),Icelandicdýr(“animal, beast”),Danishdyr(“animal, beast”).

Related also toAlbaniandash(“ram”) (possibly),Lithuaniandaũsos(“upper air; heaven”),Lithuaniandùsti(“to sigh”),Russianдуша́(dušá,“breath, spirit”),Lithuaniandvėsti(“to breathe, exhale”),Sanskritध्वंसति(dhvaṃsati,“he falls to dust”).

For the semantic development compareLatinanimālis(“animal”), fromanima(“breath, spirit”).

• (Received Pronunciation,General Australian)IPA^(key):/dɪə/
• (General American)IPA^(key):/dɪɹ/

  • Audio(General American):

    (file)

• (Scotland, someUS)IPA^(key):/diːɹ/
• (Scotland)IPA^(key):/diːɹ/
• (New Zealand)IPA^(key):/diə/
• (East Anglia,cheer–chair merger)IPA^(key):/dɛː/
• Rhymes:-ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophones:dear,dir;dare(cheer–chair merger)

deer (countable anduncountable,pluraldeeror(nonstandard)deers)

1. (countable) A ruminant mammal withantlers andhooves of the familyCervidae, or one of several similar animals from related families of the orderArtiodactyla.
2. (countable; in particular) One of the smaller animals of this family, distinguished from amoose orelk.

   I wrecked my car after adeer ran across the road.

   • 2020,Rumaan Alam,Leave the World Behind, Bloomsbury (2023), page76:

     In the space beyond that, Rose saw adeer, with abbreviated velvet antlers and a cautious yet somehow also bored mien, considering her through dark, strangely human eyes.

3. (uncountable) Themeat of such an animal;venison.

   Oh, I've never haddeer before.

4. (countable;obsolete, except in the phrase "small deer") Anyanimal, especially aquadrupedalmammal as opposed to a bird, fish, etc.
   • 1606, William Shakespeare,King Lear, act III, scene IV:

     But mice and rats and such smalldeer, have been Tom's food for seven long year.

• (ruminant mammal):cervid

• buck,hart(male deer);doe,hind(female deer);fawn(young deer);stag(adult deer)

• Sranan Tongo:dia

• -dere,Eder,Rede,Reed,de re,dere,dree,rede,reed

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes:-eːr

deer

1. inflection ofderen:
   1. first-personsingularpresentindicative
   2. (in case ofinversion)second-personsingularpresentindicative
   3. imperative

• tëyer(Wiesemann spelling)

• IPA^(key):/ˈteːa/
• Rhymes:-eːa
• Syllabification:deer
• Homophone:Deer

FromMiddle High Germanit, fromOld High Germanir. CompareLuxembourgishdir.

deer

1. you(plural)
2. (formal)you(singular)

deer

1. stresseddative ofdu

• Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “deer”, inDicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti:Riograndenser Hunsrickisch,page32, column 2

• dier(some dialects,Maastrichtian)
  • dieer(Krefeld)
• deier(Sittard)
• deër(Southeast Limburgish)
  • Déër(Eupen)

FromMiddle Dutchdier, fromOld Dutchdier, fromProto-Germanic*deuzą.

• IPA^(key):/deːʀ/
• Hyphenation:deer
• Rhymes:-eːʀ

deer n

1. pet
2. beast,animal

• bees

CompareTemɖeére.

• IPA^(key):/děːŕ/

deer (pluraldeera)

1. horse

• Bakabima, Koulon Stéphane, Nicole, Jacques (2018)Nawdm-French Dictionary‎^[1], SIL International

FromOld Frisiandēr,thēr, fromProto-West Germanic*þār. More atthere.

deer

1. there