: any of various largely aquatic carnivorous mammals (such as genus Lutra or Enhydra) of the weasel family that usually have webbed and clawed feet and dark brown fur
2
: the fur or pelt of an otter
Illustration of otter
otter 1
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The only thing left to do now is find another male otter to keep Ophelia company.—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 12 June 2025 Native to the state, otters are found throughout Florida except in the Keys, according to FWC.—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025 Raccoons, bears, otters and hogs are known to eat alligator eggs in nests.—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 Sea otters were hunted aggressively by European settlers, and have not returned along the northern part of the coast, but have made a comeback in central California.—Byrd Pinkerton, Vox, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for otter
Word History
Etymology
Middle English otre, oter, otir, going back to Old English otr, oter, otor, going back to Germanic *utra- (whence also Middle Dutch otter "otter," Old High German ottar, Old Norse otr), going back to Indo-European *ud-r-o- "aquatic animal" (whence also Sanskrit udráḥ "aquatic animal, otter," Avestan udra-) with a feminine variant *ud-r-eh2-, whence Latin lutra "otter" (with unetymological l- and -t-), Russian výdra, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian vȉdra, Lithuanian ū́dra, Old Prussian udro (Balto-Slavic with vowel lengthening and acute accent), Greek hýdra "aquatic snake, hydra" (also hýdros "the grass snake Natrix natrix," énydris "otter"); both forms zero-grade derivatives of Indo-European *u̯ód-r-/*u̯ed-n- "water" — more at water entry 1
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of otter was
before the 12th century
: any of several water-dwelling mammals that are related to the weasels and minks, have webbed feet with claws and dark brown fur, and feed on other animals (as fish, clams, and crabs) that live in or near the water compare sea otter
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