venison

noun

ven·​i·​son ˈve-nə-sən 

 also  -zən,

 British usually  ˈven-zən

plural venisons also venison

: the edible flesh of a game animal and especially a deer

Examples of venison in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The menu also features a wide array of small plates, shareable dishes, and seafood items, such as venison carpaccio and the signature Oyster Coachella, made with Medjool dates, chorizo and blue cheese. —Taryn White, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

Everything explodes during a solstice dinner, when Shauna spits in Mari’s venison stew, which leads to the two girls brawling right there at the dinner table. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025

Sometimes a less reliable dog will smell in this manner the hot body scent of venison as a trembling doe crouches close in the brush upwind. —Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025

Because the most likely route for spillover is through people who eat venison, quick testing of deer and other cervid carcasses is where prevention is focused. —Jim Robbin, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English venisoun "game animal, meat of a game animal," borrowed from Anglo-French veneisun, going back to Latin vēnātiōn-, vēnātiō "hunting, game animals," from vēnārī "to go hunting, hunt" (probably derivative of a nominal stem *wēn- "hunting, of the hunt," lengthened-grade derivative of a verbal stem *wen- "wish, desire") + -tiōn-, tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at venus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Video

Words of the Year: 1066

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

Kids Definition

venison

noun

ven·​i·​son ˈven-ə-sən 

 also  -ə-zən

: the flesh of a deer used as food

Etymology

Middle English venison "the flesh of a game animal hunted for food," from early French veneisun "flesh of hunted animals, venison," from Latin venation-, venatio, "hunting," from venari "to hunt"