venison

noun

ven·​i·​son ˈve-nə-sən How to pronounce venison (audio)
 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep the venison mixture on low heat until the butternut squash is fully cooked. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 8 Nov. 2024 Smoky tender venison skewers echo the meats her father hunted. —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 4 Nov. 2024 On a break to switch out the hunting dogs, Walz had locally sourced venison and a Diet Mountain Dew. —Shawna Mizelle, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2024 Expect the likes of venison tartare, king crab ravioli, and reindeer shank, beautifully presented with thoughtful accompaniments. —David Nikel, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for venison 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of venison was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near venison

Venise lace

venison

venison bird

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Venison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venison. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

venison

noun
ven·​i·​son ˈven-ə-sən How to pronounce venison (audio)
 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"

More from Merriam-Webster on venison

Nglish: Translation of venison for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about venison

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