otter

noun

ot·​ter ˈä-tər 

plural otters also otter

1

: 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

Examples of otter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On California’s North Coast, where other urchin nemeses — like otters, spiny lobsters and sheephead — are lacking, 96% of the region’s kelp forests vanished in the decade following the sea star collapse. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025

Also the forests are vital for the other creatures living there—native brook trout and a rare mammal called a fisher, which is related to weasels and otters. —Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Watching them reminds me of those heartening Instagram videos of otters holding hands. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025

Smaller animals, like these otters, use the crossings, too. —Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025

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

Phrases Containing otter

• river otter
• sea otter

Rhymes for otter

• blotter
• cotter
• daughter
• hotter
• mater
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter
• spotter
• squatter
• totter
• trotter

Kids Definition

otter

noun

ot·​ter ˈät-ər 

plural otter or otters

1

: 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

2

: the fur or pelt of an otter