Muley
/ˈmjuːli/noun
Having a bare or hornless head, especially in reference to a deer or antelope.
Did you know?In English hunting language, *muley* was used for deer with no antlers, and the word is tied to *mule*, the sterile hybrid animal, from Latin *mulus*—a rare case where a word for “hornless” is linked to an animal associated with barrenness and crossing boundaries.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
mulus
“a mule, the sterile offspring of a horse and a donkey”
Old French
Old French
mule
“a mule”
Middle English
English
muley
“hornless, especially of a deer”
Modern English
English
muley
“having no antlers or horns, especially in hunting usage”