noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈvɛ.nɪ.zən/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈvɛ.nɪ.sən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈvɛ.nɪ.sən/
General-American:/ˈvɛ.nɪ.zən/
rhymes with -ɛnɪzən
rhymes with -ɛnɪsən
CMU ARPABET:V EH1 N AH0 S AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The meat of a deer, especially one that was hunted in its own natural habitat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
After shooting a deer, field dressing is the next step necessary for high quality venison.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The meat of an antelope.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: South-Africa, countable, uncountable
Examples
2007, Gregory Simon Bull, Marketing fresh venison in the Eastern Cape Province using a niche marketing strategy (thesis), page xcix
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The meat of any wild animal that has been hunted rather than raised domestically.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
meat from a deer used as food
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: game
History
Etymology
From Middle English venisoun, venesoun, from Anglo-Norman veneisun, venesoun, venesun (“meat of large game, particularly deer or boar; hunt”), from Latin vēnātiō, vēnātiōnem (“hunt; meat from a hunt”), formed on vēnātus, perfect participle of vēnor (“to hunt”). Doublet of venatio and venation.
Across languages
Translations
71 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Abenaki:
nolkaiia
— the meat of a deer
Ainu:
ユㇰハル
(yukharu)
— the meat of a deer
Southern Altai:
ак-кийиктиҥ эди
(ak-kiyiktiŋ edi)
— the meat of a deer
Arabic:
لَحْم الْأَيِّل
(laḥm al-ʔayyil)
— the meat of a deer
Armenian:
եղջերվամիս
(eġǰervamis)
— the meat of a deer
Armenian:
եղնիկի միս
(eġniki mis)
— the meat of a deer
Asturian:
venáu
— the meat of a deer
Basque:
oreinki
— the meat of a deer
Bulgarian:
еленово месо
(elenovo meso)
— the meat of a deer
Catalan:
carn de cérvol
— the meat of a deer
Chinese Cantonese:
鹿肉
— the meat of a deer
Chinese Mandarin:
鹿肉
(lùròu)
— the meat of a deer
Czech:
zvěřina
— the meat of a deer
Danish:
hjortekød
— the meat of a deer
Esperanto:
cervaĵo
— the meat of a deer
Estonian:
hirveliha
— the meat of a deer
Finnish:
hirvi
— the meat of a deer
Finnish:
hirvenliha
— the meat of a deer
Finnish:
peura
— the meat of a deer
Finnish:
peuranliha
— the meat of a deer
Finnish:
kauris
— the meat of a deer
Finnish:
kauriinliha
— the meat of a deer
French:
viande de biche
— the meat of a deer
French:
venaison
— the meat of a deer
French:
gibier
— the meat of a deer
Georgian:
ირმის ხორცი
(irmis xorci)
— the meat of a deer
German:
Rehfleisch
— the meat of a deer
German:
Wildbret
— the meat of a deer
German:
Wildfleisch
— the meat of a deer
Greek:
ελάφι
(eláfi)
— the meat of a deer
Hebrew:
בְּשַׂר צְבִי
(b'sar ts'vi)
— the meat of a deer
Hungarian:
szarvashús
— the meat of a deer
Irish:
fiafheoil
— the meat of a deer
Irish:
oiseoil
— the meat of a deer
Italian:
carne di cervo
— the meat of a deer
Italian:
cacciagione
— the meat of a deer
Japanese:
鹿肉
(shikaniku)
— the meat of a deer
Kazakh:
бұғы еті
(būğy etı)
— the meat of a deer
Korean:
사슴 고기
(saseum gogi)
— the meat of a deer
Korean:
녹육
(nogyuk)
— the meat of a deer
Kyrgyz:
бугу эти
(bugu eti)
— the meat of a deer
Latin:
ferīna
— the meat of a deer
Lithuanian:
elniena
— the meat of a deer
Macedonian:
срнешко
(srneško)
— the meat of a deer
Malay:
daging rusa
— the meat of a deer
Māori:
mīti tia
— the meat of a deer
Norwegian:
rådyrkjøtt
— the meat of a deer
Northern Ohlone:
ṭoot
— the meat of a deer
Ojibwe:
waawaashkeshiwi-wiiyaas
— the meat of a deer