Illustration of otter
- otter 1
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
Examples of otter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sea otters and gray whales (seasonally) may be seen just offshore, while the volcanic remnant Point Sur, topped by Point Sur Lighthouse, rounds out the view to the south.
—
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024
Otter attacks While rabid otter attacks like the one Joseph Scaglione experienced are rare, erratic otters have made headlines in recent months.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023
Shortly afterwards, a trio of otters appeared about six inches from her face.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2023
By 2012 Whiskers and male otter Lucius gave birth to the first litter of river otters at the Detroit Zoo in 50 years.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
But with human assistance, the reintroduction of otters could bypass the gauntlet.
—David Helvarg, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
By the early 20th century, only 1,000 to 2,000 otters were left.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024
In October, Lord posted photos and videos of herself playing with otters and left just a sliver of someone, who appears to be Rife off camera, in the margins.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 12 Oct. 2023
With the decline of protective coastal kelp and a now-healthy population of white sharks in the region’s waters, migrating otters stand a good chance of becoming great white snack food.
—David Helvarg, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024
Otter attacks While rabid otter attacks like the one Joseph Scaglione experienced are rare, erratic otters have made headlines in recent months.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2023
Shortly afterwards, a trio of otters appeared about six inches from her face.
—Clark Collis, EW.com, 18 Aug. 2023
By 2012 Whiskers and male otter Lucius gave birth to the first litter of river otters at the Detroit Zoo in 50 years.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
But with human assistance, the reintroduction of otters could bypass the gauntlet.
—David Helvarg, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
By the early 20th century, only 1,000 to 2,000 otters were left.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024
In October, Lord posted photos and videos of herself playing with otters and left just a sliver of someone, who appears to be Rife off camera, in the margins.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 12 Oct. 2023
With the decline of protective coastal kelp and a now-healthy population of white sharks in the region’s waters, migrating otters stand a good chance of becoming great white snack food.
—David Helvarg, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'otter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Otter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/otter. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
otter
noun
ot·ter
ˈät-ər 
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
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