From Middle English deere, dere, der, dier, deor, from Old English dēor, from Proto-West Germanic *deuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *deuzą, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewsóm, from *dʰéws, full-grade derivative of *dʰwes-.

Cognate with Scots dere, deir, Northern Frisian dier, Western Frisian dier, Dutch dier, nds-de Deer, Deert, German Tier, Swedish djur, Norwegian dyr, Icelandic dýr, Danish dyr.

Related also to Albanian dash (possibly), Lithuanian daũsos, Lithuanian dùsti, Russian душа́, Lithuanian dvėsti, Sanskrit ध्वंसति.

For the semantic development compare Latin animālis, from anima.

• (RP) IPA: /dɪə/
• (America) IPA: /dɪɹ/
• (Scotland, some US) IPA: /diːɹ/

deer (plural deers or deer)

1. 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. (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.

3. The meat of such an animal; venison.

   Oh, I've never had deer before.

4. (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.

• French: cerf, chevreuil
• German: Hirsch
• Italian: cervo, alce, renna, daino, capriolo, caribù
• Portuguese: veado, cervo
• Russian: оле́нь
• Spanish: ciervo, venado (Latin America)

Probably from xpi *deru.

1. A village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.