deer

Etymology

From Middle English deere, dere, der, dier, deor (“small animal, deer”), from Old English dēor (“animal”), from Proto-West Germanic *deuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *deuzą, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewsóm (“living thing”), from *dʰéws (“breath”), full-grade derivative of *dʰwes-.

Cognate with Scots dere, deir (“deer”), North Frisian dier (“animal, beast”), West Frisian dier (“animal, beast”), Dutch dier (“animal, beast”), German Low German Deer, Deert (“animal”), German Tier (“animal, beast”), Swedish djur (“animal, beast”), Norwegian dyr (“animal, beast”), Icelandic dýr (“animal, beast”), Danish dyr (“animal, beast”).

Related also to Albanian dash (“ram”) (possibly), Lithuanian daũsos (“upper air; heaven”), Lithuanian dùsti (“to sigh”), Russian душа́ (dušá, “breath, spirit”), Lithuanian dvėsti (“to breathe, exhale”), Sanskrit ध्वंसति (dhvaṃsati, “he falls to dust”).

For the semantic development compare Latin animālis (“animal”), from anima (“breath, spirit”).

Pronunciation

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

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (Scotland, some US) 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)

Noun

deer (countable and uncountable, plural deer or (nonstandard) deers)

1. (countable) A ruminant mammal with antlers and hooves of the family Cervidae, or one of several similar animals from related families of the order Artiodactyla.
2. (countable; in particular) One of the smaller animals of this family, distinguished from a moose or elk.

   I wrecked my car after a deer ran across the road.

   • 2020, Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind, Bloomsbury (2023), page 76:

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

3. (uncountable) The meat of such an animal; venison.

   Oh, I've never had deer before.

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

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

Anagrams

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

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːr

Verb

deer

1. inflection of deren:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Alternative forms

• tëyer (Wiesemann spelling)

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

From Middle High German it, from Old High German ir. Compare Luxembourgish dir.

Etymology 2

Inflection

References

• Piter Kehoma Boll (2021) “deer”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português (in Portuguese), 3rd edition, Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 32, column 2

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

From Middle Dutch dier, from Old Dutch dier, from Proto-Germanic *deuzą.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

deer n

1. pet
2. beast, animal

Etymology

Compare Tem ɖeére.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /děːŕ/

Noun

deer (plural deera)

1. horse

References

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

Etymology

From Old Frisian dēr, thēr, from Proto-West Germanic *þār. More at there.

Adverb

deer

1. there