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

Now we get it: Gov. Gavin Newsom was first inspired to fight climate change and protect the environment by his childhood pet — Potter, the river otter.

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 certainly merited the title; a more repulsive specimen of river otter I have never seen, before nor since.

From Wild Life in the Land of the Giants A Tale of Two Brothers by Stables, Gordon