otter
Pluralotters, otter
- 1A furry animal with webbed feet that swims in rivers and the sea and eats fish.
Like a cat that loves to swim and catch fish.
An otter floated on its back while cracking open a shell.
We watched the otters slide down the muddy riverbank.
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- 2Fur or meat that comes from the otter.
Her winter coat was lined with soft otter.
Trappers sold otter at the market every winter.
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- 3In gay slang, a slim man who has lots of body hair.
He calls himself an otter because he is lean and hairy.
The otter at the bar had a trim build and a thick beard.
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Less common meanings
- 4A reddish-orange dye made from the seeds of a tropical tree.
The cloth was dyed a bright orange with otter.
They mixed otter into the butter to give it color.
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- 5Archaic form of attar. Use this old word for sweet-smelling flower oil.
She dabbed a little otter of roses behind her ears.
The shop sold tiny bottles of otter from the East.
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Practice
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Origins
From Old English "otor," going back to old Germanic words and an ancient root meaning "water." It is related to Dutch "otter" and German "Otter."
A changed form of the word "annotto."