doe

Doe is a term with several related senses in English: a female deer; a surname; and a placeholder name used for an unidentified person in law and medicine. It also appears as an acronym (DOE) for the Department of Energy in the United States.

As a zoological term, a doe is the female of most species of deer in the family Cervidae. The male is typically called a buck or stag, and the young are fawns. The term is used across many species, including white-tailed deer and red deer.

As a surname, Doe is common in English-speaking countries. The name may have originated from an occupational or descriptive nickname or from the animal name itself; it has become widespread through migration and assimilation.

As a placeholder name, Jane Doe (and John Doe for males) is used to represent an anonymous or unidentified person in legal actions, medical records, and educational examples.

Other uses: The abbreviation DOE stands for the U.S. Department of Energy, a federal agency.