Mouse \Mouse\ (mous), n.; pl. Mice (m[imac]s). [OE. mous, mus,
AS. m[=u]s, pl. m[=y]s; akin to D. muis, G. maus, OHG. &
Icel. m[=u]s, Dan. muus, Sw. mus, Russ. muishe, L. mus, Gr.
my^s, Skr. m[=u]sh mouse, mush to steal. [root]277. Cf.
Muscle, Musk.]
1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small rodents
belonging to the genus Mus and various related genera of
the family Muridae. The common house mouse (Mus
musculus) is found in nearly all countries. The American
white-footed mouse, or deer mouse (Peromyscus
leucopus, formerly Hesperomys leucopus) sometimes lives
in houses. See Dormouse, Meadow mouse, under Meadow,
and Harvest mouse, under Harvest.
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2. (Naut.)
(a) A knob made on a rope with spun yarn or parceling to
prevent a running eye from slipping.
(b) Same as 2d Mousing, 2.
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3. A familiar term of endearment. --Shak.
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4. A dark-colored swelling caused by a blow. [Slang]
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5. A match used in firing guns or blasting.
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Field mouse, Flying mouse, etc. See under Field,
Flying, etc.
Mouse bird (Zool.), a coly.
Mouse deer (Zool.), a chevrotain, as the kanchil.
Mouse galago (Zool.), a very small West American galago
(Galago murinus). In color and size it resembles a
mouse. It has a bushy tail like that of a squirrel.
Mouse hawk. (Zool.)
(a) A hawk that devours mice.
(b) The hawk owl; -- called also mouse owl.
Mouse lemur (Zool.), any one of several species of very
small lemurs of the genus Chirogaleus, found in
Madagascar.
Mouse piece (Cookery), the piece of beef cut from the part
next below the round or from the lower part of the latter;
-- called also mouse buttock.
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Deer \Deer\ (d[=e]r), n. sing. & pl. [OE. der, deor, animal,
wild animal, AS. de['o]r; akin to D. dier, OFries. diar, G.
thier, tier, Icel. d[=y]r, Dan. dyr, Sw. djur, Goth. dius; of
unknown origin. [root]71.]
1. Any animal; especially, a wild animal. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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Mice and rats, and such small deer. --Shak.
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The camel, that great deer. --Lindisfarne
MS.
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2. (Zool.) A ruminant of the genus Cervus, of many species,
and of related genera of the family Cervid[ae]. The
males, and in some species the females, have solid
antlers, often much branched, which are shed annually.
Their flesh, for which they are hunted, is called
venison.
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Note: The deer hunted in England is Cervus elaphus, called
also stag or red deer; the fallow deer is Cervus
dama; the common American deer is Cervus
Virginianus; the blacktailed deer of Western North
America is Cervus Columbianus; and the mule deer of
the same region is Cervus macrotis. See Axis,
Fallow deer, Mule deer, Reindeer.
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Note: Deer is much used adjectively, or as the first part of
a compound; as, deerkiller, deerslayer, deerslaying,
deer hunting, deer stealing, deerlike, etc.
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Deer mouse (Zool.), the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus
leucopus, formerly Hesperomys leucopus) of America.
Small deer, petty game, not worth pursuing; -- used
metaphorically. (See citation from Shakespeare under the
first definition, above.) "Minor critics . . . can find
leisure for the chase of such small deer." --G. P. Marsh.
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