chevrotain; mouse deer
A small, deer-like ungulate of the family Tragulidae, native to forests in Asia and Africa.
The mouse deer is one of the world's smallest ungulates.
I saw a chevrotain at the zoo.
Katakana spelling is common for this animal name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling using 豆 (bean) and 鹿 (deer); rarely used.
Kanji spelling using 矮 (dwarf) and 鹿 (deer); rarely used.
Compound of 豆 (まめ, 'bean') and 鹿 (しか, 'deer'), referring to its small size. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.