white-tailed deer

or white·tail deer

[ hwahyt-teyld, wahyt- ]

noun

1. a common North American deer, Odocoileus virginianus, having a tail with a white underside.

white-tailed deer

noun

1. a deer, Odocoileus virginianus, of North America and N South America: the coat varies in colour, being typically reddish-brown in the summer, and the tail is white Also calledVirginia deer

Word History and Origins

Origin of white-tailed deer¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Animal rehabilitation networks will offer white-tailed deer, shrews, weasels, and squirrels.

From Science Magazine

"The expansion of white-tailed deer into the boreal forest has been linked to caribou declines," explains Dickie.

From Science Daily

They analyzed 100 fecal samples from white-tailed deer from different regions of the U.S., of which half have chronic wasting disease and half do not.

From Science Daily

Instead, police found a white-tailed deer inside the store, roaming down the aisles as caught on body camera.

From Washington Times

The states that still have full or partial bans on Sunday hunting are all on the East Coast, where every fall sportsmen pursue wild turkeys and white-tailed deer with firearms and archery.

From Seattle Times