A deer is a common four-legged animal that has hooves and eats plants around the forest. Someone dear to you is a special or important loved one, such as a parent, child, or friend. The word dear is also used in interjections like "oh, dear!" or "dear me!" to indicate surprise, pity, or other emotions.
Although they are wild, deer pose little to no danger to humans. However, they can certainly be pests if you find them in your yard! Without a tall fence, vegetables in the garden are an open salad bar for deer. The animals' long legs allow them to reach low-hanging fruit and berries, which are usually gone before you get a chance to pick them. You'll also need to keep your prize-winning tulips and roses safe from hungry deer. Almost nothing in your yard is safe! Check out these examples of deer in the wild:
Sometimes coyotes would come and eat watermelons, too; and now and then a deer would jump into the field and eat corn, melons, and peas. (Old Yeller)
The collars help wildlife officials better observe and understand how, where and when deer migrate through Utah. (The Washington Times)
From an Old English word meaning "precious or valuable," something dear can be costly monetarily or costly to the heart. A loved one is often described as a dear. In fact, this affectionate meaning is why dear is often used as a polite introductory word in letters and emails. Here are some more examples that show the different uses of dear:
"It’s all right, dear," said Mother to the young woman. (Between Shades of Gray)
We drove back and—oh, dear!—the first thing we saw was the flickering of flames. (My Life with the Chimpanzees)
Gold is dear to us, but dearer is our life. (Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine)
Here’s a quick way to distinguish deer from dear: the animal deer has two e's, like the word eyes, while something dear, is close to your heart!