# otter

Pronunciation: US say "OT-ur" /ˈɑtɚ/; UK say "OT-uh" /ˈɒt.ə/

## Noun

1. A meat-eating mammal of the weasel family that lives in or near water, with webbed feet and dense, water-repellent fur.
   - Simple: A furry animal with webbed feet that swims in rivers and the sea and eats fish.
   - _The otter dove beneath the surface and came up moments later with a fish in its paws._
   - _Along the rocky coast, otters hunt crabs and sea urchins in the shallows._
2. The dense fur or the flesh of the river-dwelling mammal, used historically for garments, trim, and trade.
   - Simple: Fur or meat that comes from the otter.
   - _The hat was trimmed with glossy otter from the northern rivers._
   - _Traders prized otter above most other furs in the eighteenth century._
3. In gay male slang, a hairy man with a slender build, as distinct from a bear, who is heavier and more thickset. *(slang)*
   - Simple: In gay slang, a slim man who has lots of body hair.
   - _Most of his friends were otters, lean and bearded rather than burly._
   - _She described her brother as an otter, slim with plenty of chest hair._

## Noun

4. A reddish-orange or yellow dye obtained from the pulp around the seeds of the achiote tree, used to color food and fabric. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A reddish-orange dye made from the seeds of a tropical tree.
   - _Weavers steeped the wool in otter to achieve a deep orange hue._
   - _The merchant's ledger listed barrels of otter shipped from the colonies._
5. Archaic form of attar. *(archaic)* — Archaic form of attar.
   - Simple: Archaic form of attar. Use this old word for sweet-smelling flower oil.
   - _The bride was perfumed with otter of roses on her wedding day._
   - _Merchants traded in precious otter distilled from fresh petals._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–3** — From Middle English "oter," from Old English "otor," from Proto-Germanic "*utraz" and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root "*wed-" (water). It is cognate with Dutch "otter," German "Otter," Swedish "utter," Sanskrit "udrá," and Ancient Greek "húdra" (water snake), and is a doublet of "hydra."
**Meaning 4** — A corruption of "annotto."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/otter (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).