any of several aquatic, furbearing, weasellike mammals of the genus Lutra and related genera, having webbed feet and a long, slightly flattened tail.
the fur of an otter.
any freshwater carnivorous musteline mammal of the subfamily Lutrinae, esp Lutra lutra ( Eurasian otter ), typically having smooth fur, a streamlined body, and webbed feet
the fur of any of these animals
Also called: otter board. a type of fishing tackle consisting of a weighted board to which hooked and baited lines are attached
before 900; Middle English otter, oter, Old English otor, ottor; cognate with Dutch, German otter; compare Greek hýdra water serpent ( see hydra), Sanskrit udra- otter; akin to water
Otters are mammals that live in and near the water. If you're lucky enough to see a group of these animals together, you can refer to them as a "romp of otters." In North America, otters can be found in parts of the Pacific Ocean and in rivers all across the continent. But otters aren't as common as they once were — many otter species are considered endangered today: they were hunted for their fur when settlers first came to North America, and since then they have been threatened by pollution and climate change. The root of the word otter, appropriately enough, means "water creature."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The otter swim instructors say they were told to downplay the bites as “just animal things” and to offer Neosporin and a bandaid.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
In 2020, the two institutions agreed to expand Monterey Bay’s sea otter surrogacy program southward.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
An orphaned sea otter pup and a young adult female have found each other and a new home in Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
It is also an offence to disturb, damage or destroy a breeding site or resting place of an otter or obstruct their access, whether or not an otter is present.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
The sea otter, when it is swimming, looks like a seal, but is really very different.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
