otter
noun
any of several aquatic, furbearing, weasellike mammals of the genus Lutra and related genera, having webbed feet and a long, slightly flattened tail.
otter
1 American
[ot-er]
/ ˈɒt ər /
noun
-
otters,
plural
-
otter
plural
-
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.
Otter
2
American
[ot-er]
/ ˈɒt ər /
noun
otter
British
/ ˈɒtə /
noun
-
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
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of otter
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
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing otter
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:
“I thought it was a person until I saw the otter, and then it kept coming at me with teeth and claws,” she said on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The roots of this falloff reach back to the 18th and early 19th centuries, as fur hunters from Russia and elsewhere nearly wiped out the West Coast’s once-abundant otter population.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
While fishing a canal, I spot an otter as it emerges from the water and climbs onto the opposite bank, clutching a writhing iguana in its paws and then diving back in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The River Lugg is home to six protected and endangered species, including common otter, Atlantic salmon, white clawed crayfish, brook lamprey, shad and bullhead.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
The old otter which had survived the Aleut spears and by now were aware that summer was a time of danger would lead the herd away.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
In 2015, the semi-aquatic mammals were reintroduced to the wild in the River Otter, Devon, and in February this year four pairs were released to Par and Fowey rivers in Cornwall.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Using highly sensitive gravity measurements collected by BAS' Twin Otter aircraft and others, researchers detected an unusual signal beneath the glacier.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2026
“A couple of recent shows, we were walking away after them like ‘Oh, yeah we really needed this night,’ ” Dani Otter, producer of the show, said after each show ended.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2025
“Come support the show. You are welcome here,” Otter said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2025
For a long time I called it Otter as I had called Rontu, Dog.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
The wildlife rescue center has never received a live river otter before, Pedrioli said, though they did get two otters last year that had died.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Sightings of blue heron, egrets and river otters are common.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
It's not just raining cats and dogs, but otters, dolphins and multiple other water-dwelling mammals.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
The otters were known to bite guests who paid $215 to swim with them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Her head turned and turned, all the way around, and it didn’t stop turning until she was looking right at the otters.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
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.
