sika

[ see-kuh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a small, reddish deer, Cervus nippon, native to eastern Asia: most populations are endangered.

sika

/ ˈsiːkə /

a Japanese forest-dwelling deer, Cervus nippon, having a brown coat, spotted with white in summer, and a large white patch on the rump

Origin of sika¹

1890–95; < Japanese, equivalent to si- (perhaps akin to sisi boar, game) + ka deer

Origin of sika¹

from Japanese shika

Nasimovich considered that roe deer and sika deer could be taken by wolves when snow was not more than 30 cm.

In Japan there is an intermediate form in Cervus sika which has no bez-tine.

On the mainland of Manchuria both the typical sika, and a larger race (C. sika manchuricus), occur.

Sika means to appear, and is used chiefly of supernatural beings; kundru means to grunt or grumble.

April 23, 2024inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

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