noun
doe; female deer
Refers specifically to a female deer. The reading めじか is standard; めしか is a less common variant. Obsolete readings めか and めが are not used in modern Japanese.
See also: 牡鹿
森の中で牝鹿が草を食べていた。
A doe was eating grass in the forest.
牡鹿と雌鹿を見分けるのは難しい。
It's difficult to tell a buck from a doe.
Kanji spelling using 牝 (female animal). Less common than 雌鹿 but still encountered.
牡鹿 means a male deer (buck), while 雌鹿 means a female deer (doe).
Compound of 雌 (me, 'female') + 鹿 (shika, 'deer'). The reading めじか is a standard rendaku form.