Added 9 October 2026
otter
/ˈɒtə/ noun
In Latin: lutra Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about otter at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The fur of an otter.
- Freshwater carnivorous mammal having webbed and clawed feet and dark brown fur.
Origin
From Middle English oter, otir, otur, otyre, from Old English otor, from Proto-West Germanic *otr, from Proto-Germanic *utraz, from Proto-Indo-European *udrós (“aquatic, water-animal”), from Proto-Indo-European *wed- (“water”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Otter, Dutch otter, German Otter, Swedish utter, Norwegian oter, Icelandic otur, Sanskrit उद्र (udrá), Russian вы́дра (výdra), and Ancient Greek ὕδρα (húdra, “water snake”). Doublet of Hydra and hydra. More etymology under English water.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)