critter
Americannoun
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a domesticated animal.
-
any creature.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of critter
Variant of creature
Explanation
A critter is an animal. If you hear scratching noises in your ceiling at night, you can be sure that some kind of critter is living in your attic. Critter is an informal word for any living creature, from a wolf to a spider. You might like going to watch various critters at the zoo, or live on a small farm where you can keep critters of your own, like goats and chickens. Critter first appeared in the early 19th century, a shortened slang or joking form of the word creature.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The two-year-old furry critter, described by keepers as extremely shy, was being kept in the hospital for diagnostic testing, it said.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
The frog is the second nonflying critter spotted on the crossing.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025
As Popcorn gained popularity online, Chris and Lily wrote a book together about the impact that the little critter had on their family, which was then published in May 2024.
From BBC • May 24, 2025
And it's partly thanks to a noisy critter from Costa Rica named Alston's singing mouse.
From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2024
One look at a crab’s swimming leg and I could tell almost to the hour when the critter was going to shed.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
