reindeer

[reyn-deer] /ˈreɪnˌdɪər/

noun, plural reindeer (occasionally) reindeers.

any of several large deer of the genus Rangifer, of northern and arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America, both male and female of which have antlers.

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English raynder(e) < Old Norse hreindȳri, equivalent to hreinn reindeer + dȳr animal (cognate with deer)

Examples from the web for reindeer

reindeer receded northward and eastward, and bison and horse followed.
But if we're not careful, his reindeer could soon be nothing more than a myth.
For the reindeer living there, it might be tempting to sleep away half the year and remain awake throughout the long summer days.
They also had the same prey animals available to them, such as reindeer and horse.
reindeer grazing freely in search of reindeer lichen overnight can disperse across few kilometers.
reindeer website's popularity a surprise to creator.
Grandma is getting run over by a reindeer a lot these days.
Cross-country ski equipment is provided, along with transport by car, snowmobile and reindeer.
reindeer have a different set of eyes for summer and winter, a new study suggests.
What a marvelous sight it is to see reindeer pulling sleds in this vast white space.

British Dictionary definitions for reindeer

reindeer

/ˈreɪnˌdɪə/

noun (pl) -deer, -deers

a large deer, Rangifer tarandus, having large branched antlers in the male and female and inhabiting the arctic regions of Greenland, Europe, and Asia. It also occurs in North America, where it is known as a caribou

Word Origin

C14: from Old Norse hreindӯri, from hreinn reindeer + dyr animal; related to Dutch rendier, German Rentier; see deer

Word Origin and History for reindeer

c.1400, from a Scandinavian source, cf. Old Norse hreindyri "reindeer," from dyr "animal" (see deer) + hreinn, by itself the usual name for the animal, from Proto-Germanic *khrinda- (cf. Old English hran "reindeer;" German Renn "reindeer," which was altered by folk etymology influence of rennen "to run;" Swedish ren-ko "female reindeer," with ko "cow" (n.)).

Probably from PIE *krei-, from base *ker- (1) "horn, head," with derivatives referring to horned animals (both male and female reindeer have horns; those of the male are remarkable), and thus perhaps cognate with Greek krios "ram" (see kerato-). Older sources connect it to words in Lapp or Finnish. French renne, Spanish reno, Italian renna ultimately are from Germanic.