roe deer

See also: roedeer and roe-deer

English

A roe deer.

Etymology

From Old English rāhdēor (roe deer), corresponding to roe + deer. Cognate with Icelandic rádýr, Swedish rådjur, Norwegian and Danish rådyr.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɹəʊˌdɪə/
  • (file)

Noun

roe deer (plural roe deer)

  1. A small, nimble Eurasian deer with no visible tail, a white rump patch, and a reddish summer coat that turns grey in winter, the male having short three-pointed antlers (Capreolus capreolus and Capreolus pygargus).
    Synonyms: chevreuil, roe
    • 1955, Robin Jenkins, The Cone-Gatherers, Canongate 2012, page 84:
      Frightened by the noises approaching them from the rear, and apprehensive of the human silence ahead, the five roe deer were halted, their heads high in nervous alertness.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.