sea otter

American

noun

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.

sea otter British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sea otter

First recorded in 1655–65

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.

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a study the institution conducted over 15 years showed that sea otter pups raised in surrogacy survived as well as pups raised in the wild.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 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

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

How sea otter pup was reunited with mom.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025

The sea otter, when it is swimming, looks like a seal, but is really very different.

From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023