otter

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɒt.ə/
• (General American) enPR: ŏtʹər, IPA^(key): /ˈɑtɚ/, [(ʔ)ɑɾɚ]

• Audio (Berkshire, UK)

  (file)

• Homophone: odder (US)
• Rhymes: -ɒtə(ɹ)

From Middle English oter, otir, otur, otyre, from Old English otor, from Proto-West Germanic *ot(t)r, 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”). More etymology under English water.

otter (plural otters)

1. An aquatic or marine carnivorous mammal in the subfamily Lutrinae of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers, and others.
2. (gay slang) A hairy man with a slender physique, in contrast with a bear, who is more thickset.

Corruption of annotto.

otter (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) annatto (dye)

otter (uncountable)

1. Archaic form of attar.
   • 1809, William Jones, A Grammar of the Persian Language (page 8)

     […] the precious perfume called otter of roses.

• otter in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

• Treto, ortet, toret, torte, toter

otter c (singular definite otteren, plural indefinite ottere)

1. eight (the card rank between seven and nine)

• “otter” in Den Danske Ordbog

From Middle Dutch otter, from Old Dutch *ottar, from Proto-West Germanic *ot(t)r, from Proto-Germanic *utraz, from Proto-Indo-European *udrós (“water-animal, otter”), from *wed- (“water”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔ.tər/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ot‧ter
• Rhymes: -ɔtər

otter m (plural otters, diminutive ottertje n)

1. otter

• zeeotter

• Berbice Creole Dutch: otro

From Old Dutch *ottar, from Proto-West Germanic *ot(t)r, from Proto-Germanic *utraz, from Proto-Indo-European *udrós (“water-animal, otter”), from *wed- (“water”).

otter m

1. otter, European otter

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

• Dutch: otter
• Limburgish: ódder

• “otter”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “otter”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

otter

1. Alternative form of oter

From Old Norse otr, from Proto-Germanic *utraz, from Proto-Indo-European *udrós (“water-animal, otter”), from *wed- (“water”).

• IPA^(key): /ʊtːər/, [ɯ̞́ᵝtʰːe̞ɾ], [ɔ́tʰːe̞ɾ]

  Rhymes: -ʊ́tər, -ər

otter m

1. otter; a mammal of the family Mustelidae

• otterber