river otter

American  

noun

1. a North American otter, Lutra canadensis, with brown and silver fur, native to streams and lakes in the U.S. and Canada.

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Etymology

Origin of river otter

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

river otter

The particular subspecies involved, the northern river otter, is known to get as heavy as 20 pounds and to grow up to 47 inches in length.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 4, 2023

One is a kind of tortoise last seen in 1906, the other is a river otter that scientists thought no longer existed in Argentina.

From NewsForKids.net ● Dec. 8, 2022

But he didn’t cozy up to a river otter as a little kid.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2020

The Potomac Conservancy offers more river otter fun facts at potomac.org/blog/2019/5/2/4-things-you-otter-know-about-river-otters.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 17, 2020

He is a shaman, and American Indians believe that his inspiration comes from the tongue of a mysterious river otter, caught by him.

From The Religion of the Ancient Celts by MacCulloch, J. A.