Meaning & use
deer
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A wild animal with hooves that eats plants; males of most kinds grow new antlers every year.
Grammar: The plural is the same as the singular: one deer, three deer. Do not say 'deers'.
Patterns
- a herd of deer
- hunt deer
- deer in the forest
We saw a deer standing quietly at the edge of the woods.
The deer in this park are used to people and often come close.
A group of deer crossed the road just before sunset.
Word forms
| plural | deer |
|---|
Common combinations
- a herd of deer
- A herd of deer was grazing in the field.
- deer hunting
- Deer hunting is allowed only in certain months.
- red deer
- Red deer are common in the Scottish Highlands.
- deer antlers
- Male deer grow new antlers each spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- deerstalker noun
- A soft cap with flaps, traditionally worn when hunting deer.
Commonly confused: deer or dear?
deer vs dear
Dear means loved or expensive; deer is the animal. They sound the same in British English.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The plural of deer is deer, so 'three deer' is correct. 'Deers' is not standard English, and the other options have wrong article or plural forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.