otter

noun

ot·​ter ˈä-tər How to pronounce otter (audio)
plural otters also otter
1
: any of various largely aquatic carnivorous mammals (such as genus Lutra or Enhydra) of the weasel family that usually have webbed and clawed feet and dark brown fur
2
: the fur or pelt of an otter

Illustration of otter

Illustration of otter
  • otter 1

Examples of otter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This past month, Swifties helped raise $2 million for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s otter conservation efforts after Swift sported one of the organization’s vintage T-shirts. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2025 Armadillo, mink, weasel and otter all hold varying degrees of risk associated with consumption. Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025 Local experts say that the recent otter attack in Santa Cruz could be Otter 841 returning to claim her territory, but the otter cannot be confirmed as Otter 841, since 841's tracker is no longer active and may have fallen off. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025 As is often the case with everything surrounding Swift’s name, the T-shirt featuring a graphic illustration of otters went viral on social media. Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for otter

Word History

Etymology

Middle English otre, oter, otir, going back to Old English otr, oter, otor, going back to Germanic *utra- (whence also Middle Dutch otter "otter," Old High German ottar, Old Norse otr), going back to Indo-European *ud-r-o- "aquatic animal" (whence also Sanskrit udráḥ "aquatic animal, otter," Avestan udra-) with a feminine variant *ud-r-eh2-, whence Latin lutra "otter" (with unetymological l- and -t-), Russian výdra, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian vȉdra, Lithuanian ū́dra, Old Prussian udro (Balto-Slavic with vowel lengthening and acute accent), Greek hýdra "aquatic snake, hydra" (also hýdros "the grass snake Natrix natrix," énydris "otter"); both forms zero-grade derivatives of Indo-European *u̯ód-r-/*u̯ed-n- "water" — more at water entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of otter was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Otter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/otter. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

otter

noun
ot·​ter ˈät-ər How to pronounce otter (audio)
plural otter or otters
1
: any of several water-dwelling mammals that are related to the weasels and minks, have webbed feet with claws and dark brown fur, and feed on other animals (as fish, clams, and crabs) that live in or near the water compare sea otter
2
: the fur or pelt of an otter

More from Merriam-Webster on otter

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