sea otter

American  

noun

sea otters plural

1. a marine otter, Enhydra lutris, of the shores of the northern Pacific, with a very valuable fur: now greatly reduced in number and rare in many areas.

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sea otter British  

noun

1. a large marine otter, Enhydra lutris, of N Pacific coasts, formerly hunted for its thick dark brown fur

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sea otters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sea otter

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sea otter

“Outbreaks affect a wide range of birds and mammals, and these animals all share the near shore ecosystem,” she said, although it’s “especially tragic” when infections affect less common species in the southern sea otter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026

As sea otter populations slowly recover, wolves may be reviving a predator-prey relationship that existed in the past.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2026

Researchers are now trying to determine how this interaction affects wolf behavior and whether it influences sea otter recovery.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2026

How sea otter pup was reunited with mom.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

The last to arrive was Shelly, the sea otter, who wriggled up the muddy riverbank.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown