An otter is a small animal with brown fur, short legs, and a long tail. Otters swim well and eat fish.
otter in British English
(ˈɒtə)
nounWord forms: plural-ters or -ter
1.
any freshwater carnivorous musteline mammal of the subfamily Lutrinae, esp Lutra lutra (Eurasian otter), typically having smooth fur, a streamlined body, and webbed feet
2.
the fur of any of these animals
3. Also called: otter board
a type of fishing tackle consisting of a weighted board to which hooked and baited lines are attached
verb
4.
to fish using an otter
Word origin
Old English otor; related to Old Norse otr, Old High German ottar, Greek hudra, Sanskrit udra
otter in American English
(ˈɑtər)
nounWord forms: pluralˈotters or ˈotter
1.
any of various furry carnivores (family Mustelidae) with webbed feet used in swimming and a long, slightly flattened tail
; esp.,
a.
a North American river species (Lutra canadensis)
b.
sea otter
2.
the short, thick, lustrous fur of this animal
Word origin
ME oter < OE, akin to ON otr < IE *udros, a water animal (> Sans udrá-ḥ) < base *wed-, to make wet > water