[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

deer \deer\ d=er, n. sing.  pl. oe. der, deor, animal,
   wild animal, as. de'or; akin to d. dier, ofries. diar, g.
   thier, tier, icel. d=yr, dan. dyr, sw. djur, goth. dius; of
   unknown origin. root71.
   1. any animal; especially, a wild animal. obs. --chaucer.
      1913 webster

            mice and rats, and such small deer.   --shak.
      1913 webster

            the camel, that great deer.           --lindisfarne
                                                  ms.
      1913 webster

   2. zool. a ruminant of the genus cervus, of many species,
      and of related genera of the family cervidae. the
      males, and in some species the females, have solid
      antlers, often much branched, which are shed annually.
      their flesh, for which they are hunted, is called
      venison.
      1913 webster

   note: the deer hunted in england is cervus elaphus, called
         also stag or red deer; the fallow deer is cervus
         dama; the common american deer is cervus
         virginianus; the blacktailed deer of western north
         america is cervus columbianus; and the mule deer of
         the same region is cervus macrotis. see axis,
         fallow deer, mule deer, reindeer.
         1913 webster

   note: deer is much used adjectively, or as the first part of
         a compound; as, deerkiller, deerslayer, deerslaying,
         deer hunting, deer stealing, deerlike, etc.
         1913 webster

   deer mouse zool., the white-footed mouse peromyscus
      leucopus, formerly hesperomys leucopus of america.

   small deer, petty game, not worth pursuing; -- used
      metaphorically. see citation from shakespeare under the
      first definition, above. "minor critics . . . can find
      leisure for the chase of such small deer." --g. p. marsh.
      1913 webster
see also:
cervus cervidae venison cervus elaphus red deer cervus dama 
cervus virginianus cervus columbianus cervus macrotis axis fallow deer 
mule deer reindeer deer mouse peromyscus leucopus hesperomys leucopus 
small deer 

Cervus >> C Words
Cervus, definition of term: Cervus
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