river otter

noun

: any of various Old and New World otters (especially genera Lutra and Lontra)
especially : one (Lontra canadensis) of Alaska, Canada, and the conterminous U.S. found in aquatic environments from marine coastal regions to high mountains

Examples of river otter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Ophelia, a North American river otter, was found on March 28 and returned to the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Suamico, Wisconsin, the zoo announced on Tuesday. Megan Forrester, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2025 Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit, her third litter. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025 Visitors to Los Llanos can marvel at fascinating megafauna like the giant anteater, giant river otter and green anaconda, but perhaps the most impressive natural feature of the region is its incredible avian diversity. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 In September 2024, a river otter dragged a child underwater at a marina in Bremerton, Washington. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for river otter

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of river otter was in 1801

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Cite this Entry

“River otter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/river%20otter. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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