nutria

American  

[noo-tree-uh, nyoo-] / ˈnu tri ə, ˈnyu- /

noun

1. the coypu.

2. the fur of the coypu, resembling beaver, used for making coats, hats, suit trimmings, etc.

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nutria British  

/ ˈnjuːtrɪə /

noun

1. another name for the coypu, used esp to refer to its fur

2. a brown colour with a grey tinge

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Etymology

Origin of nutria

1810–20, < Spanish: otter, variant of lutria < Medieval Latin, for Latin lutra

Explanation

The nutria is a large South American rodent that resembles a beaver with a long, hairless tail. In many parts of the U.S., nutria are considered a destructive invasive species. Though nutria are aquatic, they are definitely not otters; nevertheless, nutria means "otter" in Spanish. In several other languages, the word for nutria means "rat beaver," a good basic description of this rodent's appearance. Nutria were introduced to the U.S. by 19th-century fur traders. By the 1940s, the fur market had collapsed and thousands of nutria were released into the wild. They have no native North American predators and are destructive to many ecosystems, particularly marshes and wetlands.

Example Sentences

The nutria, an invasive rodent plaguing California, may have been deliberately released.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

The perfect project to combat that image is taking on the nutria, an invasive swamp rat that threatens to damage levees and eat through Central Valley wetlands.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

But after the response, the agency provided special conditions allowing the family to keep the nutria as a pet within the law, according to the newspaper.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2023

“The nutria was not at the residence when agents arrived,” the department said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

I watched him eat a grilled nutria once at my uncle Henry’s annual game cookout, and I couldn’t even taste that thing.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings