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
More than 100 islands make up the Broken Group, where visitors may see whales, sea lions and otters among the rocky islets.
—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
The river had shallows, marshes, sandbars, oxbows, eddies, weed flats and drop offs, all of which created nurseries, hiding spots and ambush points for a food chain that included aquatic bugs, frogs, fish, turtles, alligators, deer, otters, panthers and eagles.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2025
As his two sons run around its Civil War display, throwing paper darts and speculating on why otters exist, J.B. slips away to the room of paintings by Arthur Dove, an early abstractionist, checks out how they’re attached to the wall and pictures his future winnings.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025
To their surprise and excitement, the otter experts noticed a set of photos from February 2024 showing a Eurasian otter — the country’s first sighting of the species in 11 years, the organization told McClatchy News via email.
—Aspen Pflughoeft
july 11, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
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The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 July 2025
The river had shallows, marshes, sandbars, oxbows, eddies, weed flats and drop offs, all of which created nurseries, hiding spots and ambush points for a food chain that included aquatic bugs, frogs, fish, turtles, alligators, deer, otters, panthers and eagles.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2025
As his two sons run around its Civil War display, throwing paper darts and speculating on why otters exist, J.B. slips away to the room of paintings by Arthur Dove, an early abstractionist, checks out how they’re attached to the wall and pictures his future winnings.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025
To their surprise and excitement, the otter experts noticed a set of photos from February 2024 showing a Eurasian otter — the country’s first sighting of the species in 11 years, the organization told McClatchy News via email.
—Aspen Pflughoeft
july 11, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for otter
Cite this Entry
“Otter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/otter. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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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