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nutria

noun
nu·​tria | \ ˈnü-trē-ə, ˈnyü-\

Definition of nutria

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

 But over the past 23 years, the most efficient method of ridding Jefferson Parish's drainage canals of nutria has been paying the Sheriff's Office SWAT team to kill them. — Drew Broach, NOLA.com, "Nutria in Jefferson Parish drainage canals to stay in SWAT crosshairs," 15 May 2018 The biologist has managed to catch and kill around 20 nutria since last year. — Ryan Sabalow, sacbee, "Invasive swamp rodent has California scrambling to come up with a battle plan | The Sacramento Bee," 22 Feb. 2018 Their remarkable reproductive rate lets females birth on average two litters of five nutria annually -- and become pregnant again by year's end. — Drew Broach, NOLA.com, "Nutria in Jefferson Parish drainage canals to stay in SWAT crosshairs," 15 May 2018 In fact, alligators may help reduce land loss by eating nutria, an invasive rodent that damages about 6,000 acres of marshland each year. — Tristan Baurick, NOLA.com, "Don't blame gators for coastal land loss: report," 25 Jan. 2018 With damage estimated at $6 million, the Parish Council in 1995 took up then-Sheriff Harry Lee on his offer to pick off nutria with rifles. — Drew Broach, NOLA.com, "Nutria in Jefferson Parish drainage canals to stay in SWAT crosshairs," 15 May 2018 No, son, nutria are invasive rodents devouring our wetlands. — Ann Maloney, NOLA.com, "The latest weight-loss craze? A 'nutria coach'!," 17 Apr. 2018 Since March of 2017, more than 20 nutria have been spotted in California’s Merced, Fresno and Stanislaus counties. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "California Is Asking Residents to Report Sightings of Giant, Invasive Rodents," 14 Feb. 2018 In some spots, nutria have contaminated drinking water supplies. — Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, "Nutria crackdown: California looks to eradicate ruinous rodent before it tears up state," 9 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nutria.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of nutria

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for nutria

American Spanish, from Spanish, otter, modification of Latin lutra; probably akin to Old English oter otter

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Statistics for nutria

Last Updated

2 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for nutria

The first known use of nutria was in 1811

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More from Merriam-Webster on nutria

Spanish Central: Translation of nutria

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nutria

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