otter
pronunciation
How to pronounce otter in British English:
UK [ˈɒtə(r)]
How to pronounce otter in American English:
US [ˈɑtər]
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- Noun:
- the fur of an otter
- freshwater carnivorous mammal having webbed and clawed feet and dark brown fur
Word Origin
- otter
- otter: [OE] The otter is etymologically the ‘wateranimal’. Its name goes back ultimately to an Indo-European *udros, source also of Greek húdrā ‘water-snake’ (the best-known example of which in English is the many-headed Hydra killed by Hercules). This was a derivative of the same base as produced English water. Its Germanic descendant was *otraz, which has become otter in German, Dutch, and English.=> water
- otter (n.)
- Old English otr, otor "otter," from Proto-Germanic *otraz (cognates: Old Norse otr, Swedish utter, Danish odder, Dutch otter, Old High German ottar, German Otter), from PIE *udros, literally "water-creature" (cognates: Sanskrit udrah, Avestan udra "otter;" Greek hydra "water-serpent," enydris "otter;" Latin lutra, Old Church Slavonic vydra, Lithuanian udra, Old Irish odoirne "otter"), from root *wed- (1) "water" (see water (n.1)). Sea otter attested from 1660s, also known as sea-ape.
Example
- 1. The otter was one of the earliest carnivores .
- 2. The rat and the otter looked at each other and laughed .
- 3. While the pups are still demanding milk , the mother otter will often keep the whole fish for herself .
- 4. This incredible photo captured the spiritual moment a faithful otter looked to the heavens for guidance on catching his next meal .
- 5. For the twin otter plane about the only plane that can operate up here you need a flat area 305 metres long , 30m wide with an average of 60cm ice thickness .