otter
nounEtymology Corruption of annotto.
1
Obsolete annatto (dye)
otter
nounUK /ˈɒt.ə/ · US /ˈɑtɚ/
Etymology 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.
1
An aquatic or marine carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae.
2
The flesh or fur of this animal
- 'The Aleuts come from a country far to the north,' he said. 'Their ways are not ours nor is their language. They have come to take otter and to give us our share in many goods which they have and which we can use.1960, Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Puffin Books, page 11:
- Derived terms
26 terms
bear otter, European otter, giant otter, King Otter, marine otter, Maxwell's otter, otter board, otter civet, Otter Creek, Otterhound, ottering, otterish, otterless, otterlike, otterly, ottermode, otter shell, otter shrew, otterskin, Otter Tail County, otter trawler, otter trawling, ottery, river otter, sea otter, snot otter