Meaning & use
doe
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Meanings
nouncountable
An adult female deer, rabbit, or other animal such as a goat or kangaroo.
Grammar: Countable noun: a doe, two does. The plural is does.
Patterns
- a doe
- the doe
- does
We saw a doe and her fawn near the edge of the forest.
The doe stood still, watching us from behind the trees.
In many species, the doe is smaller than the buck.
nouncountable
A female rabbit or hare, especially an adult one.
Grammar: Used for rabbits as well as deer; the male is a buck.
Patterns
- a doe rabbit
- the doe
The doe rabbit gave birth to a litter of six kits.
In rabbit breeding, a doe can produce several litters a year.
The doe built a nest of fur and grass for her young.
Word forms
| plural | does |
|---|
Common combinations
- doe-eyed
- She looked at him with a doe-eyed expression.
- a doe and her fawn
- A doe and her fawn crossed the road slowly.
- doe season
- Doe season opens next month for hunters.
- doe rabbit
- The doe rabbit was protective of her litter.
- young doe
- A young doe wandered into the garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hind
- A hind is a female deer, especially a red deer, but the word is mostly used in literary or British contexts.
- bitch
- For foxes and wolves, the female is sometimes called a bitch, but this is technical and can be offensive if used for people.
Opposites
Commonly confused: doe or dough? doe or do?
doe vs dough
Dough is a mixture of flour and water used to make bread; doe is a female animal. They sound the same but have different meanings.
doe vs do
Do is a verb meaning to perform an action; doe is a noun for a female animal. They are homophones.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'doe' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A doe is a female deer, so 'shot a doe' is correct. 'Doe' in option 2 is wrong because bread is made from dough. Option 3 is wrong because a doe is female, not male. Option 4 is wrong because 'doe' is not a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “doe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.