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

An orphaned sea otter pup and a young adult female have found each other and a new home in Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

Researchers say the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in California elephant seals has spread to other marine mammals, including a sea otter and sea lion.

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

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