DEER, noun Sing. And plural [Gr. A wild beast. The primary sense is simply roving, wild, untamed; hence, a wild beast.] A quadruped of the genus Cervus, of several species, as the stag, the fallow deer the roe-buck, the rane or rane-deer, etc. These animals are wild and hunted in the forest, or kept in parks. Their flesh called venison, is deemed excellent food.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI