horn, in zoology, either of the pair of hard processes that grow from the upper portion of the head of many hoofed mammals. The term is also loosely applied to antlers and to similar structures present on certain lizards, birds, dinosaurs, and insects. True horns—simple unbranched structures that are never shed—are found in cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes. They consist of a core of bone surrounded by a layer of horn (keratin) that is in turn covered by keratinized epidermis.
The antlers of deer are not horns. Shed yearly, they are composed entirely of bone, though they bear a velvety epidermal covering during the growth period. They become increasingly branched with age. The “horn” of a rhinoceros is composed of fused, heavily keratinized hairlike epidermis. Horns serve as weapons of defense against predators and of offense in battles between males for breeding access to females.