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

After years of using dogs to track the scents of missing people, a Florida search-and-rescue team has now trained otters to help with underwater searches. —Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 12 June 2026

Visitors can walk 7 miles of trails and see 140 bird species and animals such as manatees, dolphins, alligators, otters, bobcats, sea turtles and gopher tortoises. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Scenic lake cruises, narrated by local guides, are also available, during which visitors can see abundant wildlife such as alligators, otters, turtles, seabirds, and more. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026

My ankles are the size of small, attractive otters. —Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 5 June 2026

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

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

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