Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Otter

Ot′ter

(ŏt′tẽr)
,
Noun.
[OE.
oter
, AS.
otor
; akin to D. & G.
otter
, Icel.
otr
, Dan.
odder
, Sw.
utter
, Lith.
udra
, Russ,
vuidra
, Gr.
ὕδρα
water serpent, hydra, Skr.
udra
otter, and also to E.
water
. √137, 215. See
Water
, and cf.
Hydra
.]
2.
(Zool.)
The larva of the ghost moth. It is very injurious to hop vines.
Otter hound
,
Otter dog
(Zool.)
,
a small breed of hounds, used in England for hunting otters; see
otterhound
.
Otter sheep
.
See
Ancon sheep
, under
Ancon
.
Otter shell
(Zool.)
,
very large bivalve mollusk (
Schizothaerus Nuttallii
) found on the northwest coast of America. It is excellent food, and is extensively used by the Indians.
Sea otter
.
(Zool.)
See in the Vocabulary.

Ot′ter

,
Noun.
A corruption of
Annotto
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Otter

OT'TER

,

Definition 2024


Otter

Otter

See also: otter

English

Proper noun

Otter

  1. A river whose source in the Blackdown Hills, Somerset, and which flows into Lyme Bay in English Channel.

Related terms


German

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɔtɐ/

Etymology 1

From Old High German otter, from Proto-Germanic *utraz, from Proto-Indo-European *udrós.

Noun

Otter m (genitive Otters, plural Otter)

  1. otter
Declension
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Old High German nātara. Originally the same word as Natter (colubrid). The form is based on the common dialectal development -ā--ō- with subsequent irregular shortening. Loss of initial n- is a common development in the Germanic languages and is due to unetymological segmentation of preceding endings or articles, for example: *eine notter, dialectally *en notter*en‿otter. The same happened in Dutch adder and English adder. The German form was spread by Luther.

Noun

Otter f (genitive Otter, plural Ottern)

  1. adder
  2. viper
Usage notes
  • At least outside of scientific parlance, this word is chiefly restricted to compound words.
Derived terms
  • Kreuzotter
  • Otterngezücht
Declension

otter

otter

See also: Otter

English

otter (1)

Pronunciation

Noun

otter (plural otters)

  1. Any aquatic or marine carnivorous mammal, member 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.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

otter (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) Annatto.

Anagrams


Danish

Noun

otter c (singular definite otteren, plural indefinite ottere)

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

Inflection

See also

Playing cards in Danish · kort, spillekort (layout · text)
es toer treer firer femmer sekser syver
otter nier tier knægt, bonde dame, dronning konge joker

References


Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology

From Middle Dutch otter, from Old Dutch ottar, from Proto-Germanic *utraz, from Proto-Indo-European *udrós (water-animal, otter), from *wed- (water).

Noun

otter m (plural otters, diminutive ottertje n)

  1. otter