ot|ter

ot|ter «OT uhr», noun, plural -ters or (collectively) -ter.

1. a water animal that eats fish and is related to the minks and weasels. The otter is a mammal and a good swimmer with webbed toes and with claws. It has a thick tapered tail and is hunted for its fur.

2. its short, thick, glossy fur. Otter is somewhat like seal or beaver.

3. a) a kind of tackle with float, line, and hooks, used in freshwater fishing. b) a kind of gear used in deep-sea trawling.

4. a device towed by a ship for cting the mooring cables of mines; paravane.

5. the larva of a moth that is very destructive to hop vines.

╂[Old English oter]