hert

9.9

An old word for a male deer, especially a red deer

noun
/hɜːt/

Archaic

: ciervo

In the old tale, the knight pursued a noble hert through the ancient woods.

Examples

Hunters in medieval times often sought the elusive hert during the autumn season.
The tapestry depicted a hert standing proudly among the trees.
Look at that hert!
I spotted a magnificent hert in the forest.
The tapestry depicted a hert standing proudly among the trees.
Hunters in medieval times often sought the elusive hert during the autumn season.
I spotted a magnificent hert in the forest.

Synonyms

deer

vshert

330 1.0

A wild animal with hooves and antlers that lives in forests and fields

is a male-only term rather than the broader animal group

stag

vshert

18 1.0

An adult male deer with antlers

focuses more on that species specifically than on males generally

hart

vshert

Archaic

1 9.9

An adult male deer, often a red deer

is an older word rather than the modern common term

red deer

vshert

1 2.7

A large wild animal in Europe and Asia with reddish-brown fur and branched antlers in males

is an older male-specific term rather than the species name

brocket

vshert

Archaic

9.9

A male red deer in its second year

refers to adult males generally rather than to a single young age

Surface Forms

hert singular

herts plural

Etymology

Hert is an old form of hart, from an old English word heorot meaning 'deer'. Think of a noble stag in old tales, and hert was the word people used for a male deer, especially a red deer.