sea otter

noun

: a rare marine otter (Enhydra lutris) of the northern Pacific coasts that may attain a length of six feet (two meters), is chiefly brown but with lighter coloration on the back of the head and neck, and feeds largely on shellfish

Examples of sea otter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Hunted nearly to extinction for their thick pelts, sea otters managed to hang on in the most remote coves and crags of Big Sur, where a few individuals were discovered in 1938. Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024 The surrogacy concept emerged early on, said Jessica Fujii, manager of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sea otter program. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 But a lot of people just don’t know what sea otter disturbance looks like, explains Bentall. Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024 Now, the area between Gaviota State Beach north of Santa Barbara and Pigeon Point near San Jose, including Morro Bay, has some 3,000 sea otters, by one estimate. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The study was born in 2016 when a wolf clenching a sea otter in its jaws trotted past NPS biologist Kelsey Griffin and her colleagues. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 2 Nov. 2023 Start your day by hanging out with the southern sea otters and seahorses, then expand your horizons at the Gulf of Mexico tank, which is 17 feet deep, filled with 400,000 gallons of salt water, and home to stingrays, sharks, sea turtles, and more. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024 Eventually, people became interested in sea otter conservation. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Centuries ago, the waters off California’s coast were teeming with sea otters, but their numbers diminished greatly in the 1700s and 1800s due to the maritime fur trade. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sea otter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea otter was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near sea otter

Cite this Entry

“Sea otter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20otter. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

sea otter

noun
: a large marine otter of northern Pacific coasts that feeds mostly on shellfish (as clams, crabs, and sea urchins) and can grow to nearly six feet (two meters) in length

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