🦌 Deer antler material 🌿 Deer horn or plant

buckhorn

8.8

An antler of a male deer or a plant with leaves like it

noun
/ˈbʌkˌhɔrn/

: cuerno

Did you see the buckhorns on that deer?

Examples

We spotted a rare buckhorn plant growing near the edge of the forest.
The buckhorn is often found in the forests of North America.
The knife had a handle made from polished buckhorn.
Collectors often seek out old tools with buckhorn grips for their unique appearance.
The knife had a handle made from polished buckhorn.
Collectors often seek out old tools with buckhorn grips for their unique appearance.
We spotted a rare buckhorn plant growing near the edge of the forest.

Synonyms

horn

vsbuckhorn

120 1.0

A hard pointed growth on an animal's head like a cow or goat

is specifically the male deer head growth or plant leaf shape rather than general animal growths

antler

vsbuckhorn

41 3.7

A branched horn on a deer that falls off and grows back each year

is the male deer head growth or plant leaf shape rather than the yearly regrowth

elkhorn

vsbuckhorn

1 8.2

A coral with wide branches like elk antlers

is the male deer head growth or plant leaf shape rather than coral or sea forms

hornwort

vsbuckhorn

Specialized

9.9

A small simple plant that grows in damp places with long hornlike parts that hold spores

is the male deer head growth or a plant leaf shape rather than spore capsule structures

Surface Forms

buckhorn singular

buckhorns plural

Morphology

buckhorn = buck + horn (transparent) = buck + horn

The primary sense ('the horn of a male deer') is a literal compound of 'buck' + 'horn'; the plant sense is a clear metaphorical extension based on shape.

Etymology

Buckhorn originally meant the buck 'male deer' horn 'horn', and by picture it also names plants whose leaves look like small deer horns. That's why buckhorn can mean either the animal's horn or a plant with horn-shaped leaves.