hart

Definition

A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.

Etymology

From Middle English hert, from Old English heorot (“stag”), from Proto-West Germanic *herut, from Proto-Germanic *herutaz (compare Dutch hert, German Hirsch, Danish/Norwegian/Swedish hjort), from Pre-Germanic *kerudos, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (“horn”). Doublet of Heorot. Cognates Compare Welsh carw (“deer”), Latin cervus (“deer”), cervīx (“nape of the neck”), Lithuanian kárvė (“cow”), Russian коро́ва (koróva, “cow”), Ancient Greek κόρυδος (kórudos, “crested lark”), κορυφή (koruphḗ, “summit, crown of the head”), κορύπτω (korúptō, “to butt with horns”), Avestan 𐬯𐬭𐬏 (srū), 𐬯𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬁 (sruuā, “horn; claw, talon”), Sanskrit शरभ (śarabhá, “mythical antelope”). More at horn.

Example Sentences

• "With milke-white Hartes vpon an Iuorie ſled, Thou ſhalt be drawen amidſt the froſen Pooles, And ſcale the yſie mountaines lofty tops: Which with thy beautie will be soone reſolu’d."
• "Then, finding Herds of luſtie Deare, / She Huntreſſe-like the Hart purſues; […]"
• "We are to have hart for dinner on Jack’s birthday; you call it deer in Grenada."