nutria

noun

nu·​tria ˈnü-trē-ə 

ˈnyü-

1

: the durable usually light brown fur of a nutria

2

: a large South American semiaquatic rodent (Myocastor coypus) with webbed hind feet and a round nearly hairless tail that has been introduced into parts of Europe, Asia, and North America

Examples of nutria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Wildlife experts suspect that the nutria was brought to California from Oregon — on purpose. — Samantha Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

For anyone who’s enjoyed rabbit stew over a campfire, nutria could be your next wild protein challenge. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 18 Mar. 2026

Both of these species are large aquatic rodents that influence ecosystems – beaver dam building changes how water moves, sometimes undesirably for land owners, while nutria are non-native and damaging to wetlands. — Alex Jensen, Fortune, 23 Dec. 2025

Both of these species are large aquatic rodents that influence ecosystems – beaver dam building changes how water moves, sometimes undesirably for land owners, while nutria are non-native and damaging to wetlands. — Alex Jensen, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish, from Spanish, "otter," altered (with n of uncertain origin) from Latin lutra — more at otter

Note: Joan Coromines (Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 1981) suggests that Greek énydris "otter" may have been the source of the n in nutria; he notes dialectal forms such as lóndriga that maintain l.

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nutria

noun

nu·​tria ˈn(y)ü-trē-ə 

: a South American rodent that lives in or near water, has webbed feet and a nearly hairless tail, and has been introduced into the U.S. along the Gulf Coast and in the Pacific Northwest

called also coypu