Otter

Otter
Otter Ot"ter ([o^]t"t[~e]r), n. [OE. oter, AS. otor; akin to D. & G. otter, Icel. otr, Dan. odder, Sw. utter, Lith. udra, Russ, vuidra, Gr. "y`dra water serpent, hydra, Skr. udra otter, and also to E. water. [root]137, 215. See {Water}, and cf. {Hydra}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any carnivorous animal of the genera {Lutra}, {Enhydra}, and related genera of the family {Mustelidae}. Several species are described. They have large, flattish heads, short ears, and webbed toes. They are aquatic, and feed on fish. The sea otter ({Enhydra lutris}) also eats clams, crabs, starfish, abalone, and other marine animals; they may come to the surface, and lying on their backs using the stomach as a table, may be seen cracking open the shell of its prey with a rock. The common otter of Europe is {Lutra vulgaris}; the {North American otter} (or American otter) is {Lutra Canadensis}, which inhabits marshes, streams and rivers; other species inhabit South America and Asia. The North American otter adult is about three to four feet long (including the tail) and weighs from 10 to 30 pounds; the sea otter is commonly four feet long and 45 pounds (female) or 60 pounds (male). Their fur is soft and valuable, and in the nineteenth century they were hunted extensively. The sea otter was hunted to near extinction by 1900, and is now protected. Fewer than 3,000 sea otters are believed to live along the central California coast. [1913 Webster +PJC]

2. (Zo["o]l.) The larva of the ghost moth. It is very injurious to hop vines. [1913 Webster]

{Otter hound}, {Otter dog} (Zo["o]l.), a small breed of hounds, used in England for hunting otters; see {otterhound} .

{Otter sheep}. See {Ancon sheep}, under {Ancon}.

{Otter shell} (Zo["o]l.), very large bivalve mollusk ({Schizoth[ae]rus Nuttallii}) found on the northwest coast of America. It is excellent food, and is extensively used by the Indians.

{Sea otter}. (Zo["o]l.) See in the Vocabulary. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • otter — (n.) O.E. otr, otor, from P.Gmc. *utraz (Cf. O.N. otr, Swed. utter, Dan. odder, Du. otter, Ger. Otter), from PIE *udros, lit. water creature (Cf. Skt. udrah, Avestan udra otter; Gk. hydra …   Etymology dictionary

  • otter — [ät′ər] n. pl. otters or otter [ME oter < OE, akin to ON otr < IE * udros, a water animal (> Sans udrá ḥ) < base * wed , to make wet > WATER] 1. any of various furry carnivores (family Mustelidae) with webbed feet used in swimming… …   English World dictionary

  • Otter — Porté en Alsace et en Allemagne, correspond à l allemand Otter , qui désigne la vipère, mais aussi la loutre ( Fischotter ), le dernier sens étant le plus probable. Peut être le surnom d un chasseur de loutres ou d un fourreur …   Noms de famille

  • Otter — Ot ter, n. A corruption of {Annotto}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Otter — Otter, 1) (Lutra), Gattung der reißenden marderartigen Raubthiere; oben u. unten haben sie fünf Backzähne, von denen der vierte untere der größte, der obere aber so breit als lang ist; der Kopf ist etwas glatt, die Schnauze stumpf, die Zunge halb …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Ötter — Ötter, Samuel Wilhelm, geb. 1720 zu Goldkronach im Baireuthschen, wurde 1745 Conrector am Gymnasium daselbst, 1749 Pfarrer in Linden u. 1762 Pfarrer in Makterlebach, wo er als Brandenburgischer u. Ansbach Baireuthischer Historiograph u. Mitglied… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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  • Otter [2] — Otter, Fredrik Wilhelm, Freiherr von, schwed. Seeoffizier und Staatsmann, geb. 11. April 1833 auf Fimmersta (Westergötland), seit 1850 Marineoffizier, diente 1857–61 mit Auszeichnung in der englischen Flotte, machte sich 1868 als Befehlshaber der …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

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