noun
deer; cervid
General term for deer; often refers specifically to the sika deer (Cervus nippon) native to Japan.
奈良公園にはたくさんの鹿がいる。
There are many deer in Nara Park.
鹿が道路に飛び出してきた。
A deer jumped out onto the road.
Katakana spelling used in biological contexts or for emphasis.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji is not needed.
Native Japanese word. The historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 鹿 is conventionally associated with deer.