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 study, released Tuesday by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, found that the state’s nutria populations share a close genetic match to nutria from Oregon.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Fish and Wildlife Service used the occasion to urge Californians to hunt and eat nutria to help control their numbers.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

That’s because a colony of nutria, amphibious rodents, live on the Marco Simone grounds and have been known to roam the fairways.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2023

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

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

If you ask me, those nutria look just like giant rats.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings