sea otter

noun

: a rare marine otter (Enhydra lutris) of the northern Pacific coasts that may attain a length of six feet (two meters), is chiefly brown but with lighter coloration on the back of the head and neck, and feeds largely on shellfish

Examples of sea otter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The main difference between the river otter and sea otter is in the name, according to the Seattle Aquarium. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024 Important cultural reasons also support reintroducing sea otters to their historic range. Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024 An adult sea otter can weigh 30 to 100 pounds, and reach 5 feet in length. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2023 Hunted nearly to extinction for their thick pelts, sea otters managed to hang on in the most remote coves and crags of Big Sur, where a few individuals were discovered in 1938. Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024 The surrogacy concept emerged early on, said Jessica Fujii, manager of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sea otter program. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 But a lot of people just don’t know what sea otter disturbance looks like, explains Bentall. Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024 Now, the area between Gaviota State Beach north of Santa Barbara and Pigeon Point near San Jose, including Morro Bay, has some 3,000 sea otters, by one estimate. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The study was born in 2016 when a wolf clenching a sea otter in its jaws trotted past NPS biologist Kelsey Griffin and her colleagues. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 2 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sea otter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea otter was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near sea otter

Cite this Entry

“Sea otter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20otter. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

sea otter

noun
: a large marine otter of northern Pacific coasts that feeds mostly on shellfish (as clams, crabs, and sea urchins) and can grow to nearly six feet (two meters) in length

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