otter

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Otter is the general word for a small furry mammal that spends much of its time in water and often catches fish. A beaver also lives near water, but it is larger, has a wide flat tail, and is known for cutting wood and building dams. A seal is more sea-based and moves with flippers, so it does not suggest the same river animal shape. A weasel is a close land relative, but people do not usually use it for an animal swimming or diving in a river. In zoo signs and nature shows, river otter and sea otter give the exact type, but otter is the normal broad word.

Common collocations

Etymology

Otter comes from Old English otor, from an older Germanic word for this animal. Related forms appear in other Germanic languages, so it is a very old everyday word in English.