critter
Americannoun
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critters
plural
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a domesticated animal.
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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.
See Examples For:
They found Madagascar "hissing" cockroaches, a bulky insect named for its noisy defence mechanism, and dubia cockroaches, an invasive critter bred as a snack for pet lizards.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 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
As a set, the worm's eyes weigh about twenty times as much as the rest of the animal's head and seem grotesquely out of place on this tiny and transparent marine critter.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2024
You’re already familiar with nouns from the animal kingdom that can stand for one critter or many: fish, deer, moose, vermin, elk, sheep, swine.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Oakley favors natural lighting and minimal makeup, lacing the film with shots of critters and insects going about their business.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
There aren’t many of those critters in the Golden State and, when they’re found, officials seek to eradicate them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The critters got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Of course, the critters escape and run amok; the show’s faster, sometimes drone-shot xenomorph chases required longer corridors than hide-and-seek-oriented “Alien’s,” some 160-feet-plus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Grandpop was turning his head every which way, listening to the bugs and the critters, who were so loud it was no wonder Samantha didn’t hear him and Grandpop.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
