Origin of the word
The word reindeer most likely comes from the Old Norse word ‘hreindyri’ which is derived from the word ‘dyr’ meaning ‘animal’. It also originates from ‘hreinn’, a word that by itself refers to the horned animal commonly known as reindeer.
Examples
A reindeer is a large deer-like animal with antlers (unlike other related species, both male and female reindeer grow antlers). Reindeer can most often be found in the wild in the Arctic and northern regions of North America and Europe. Yet because of their association with the legend of Santa Claus, reindeer can sometimes be found much further south than their natural habitat, particularly around the Christmas holidays.
This is how three reindeer came to be put on display at a world-famous resort in Wales. The animals were a popular attraction at the resort’s Christmas village, where they were held in a pen together for up to 16 hours a day. The reindeer became increasingly agitated and would attack one another — one was injured so badly by its pen-mates that it had to be removed from the display.
Eventually, a worker noticed the reindeers‘ poor condition and alerted authorities. According to the resort employee, the reindeer were on display from 8 a.m. until midnight in the Christmas village every day. Children were encouraged to approach the pens and touch the animals; many pulled on their antlers and tugged at their fur. The reindeer paced constantly and were visibly upset, lashing out frequently at each other. The worker told the RSPCA that no animal handler was present with the reindeer, and so there was no way to stop the attacks.
“At this special time of year, we understand that seeing a ‘real’ reindeer can add to the magic of the festive season. However, reindeer require lots of specialist care, are not easy to look after properly, and are susceptible to stress and a host of health and welfare problems if not kept in the right conditions,” said a spokesman for the RSPCA.
Metro. 7 December 2017: ‘Distressed and fighting reindeer ordered to be removed from Celtic Manor golf resort.’
All reports indicate that the resort complied with the order from the RSPCA immediately and the herd was removed from the resort and returned home.
Definition
an animal like a deer with large antlers growing from its head that lives in the Arctic and in northern regions of Europe and America
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary.
