chevrotain
noun
chev·ro·tain
ˈshevrəˌtān
variants or less commonly chevrotin
-ˌtan
plural -s
: any of several very small hornless deerlike ruminant mammals of tropical Asia, the Malay archipelago, and West Africa superficially resembling the musk deer, the male having short tusks, and being among the smallest known ruminants, standing only about a foot high
called also mouse deer
see water chevrotain
Word History
Etymology
French, diminutive of chevrot kid, fawn, from Middle French, diminutive of chèvre goat