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

He noted the peninsula had once been home to animals such as pronghorn, sea otter, North American porcupine, Humboldt marten, gray wolf, American black bear, grizzlies, northern fur seal and Steller sea lion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 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 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