Chapter Otter to Out of O by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Otter to Out

Otter
(Ot"ter) n. [OE. oter, AS. otor; akin to D. & G. otter, Icel. otr, Dan. odder, Sw. utter, Lith. udra, Russ, vuidra, Gr. "y`dra water serpent, hydra, Skr. udra otter, and also to E. water. &radic137, 215. See Water, and cf. Hydra.]

1. (Zoöl.) Any carnivorous animal of the genus Lutra, and related genera. Several species are described. They have large, flattish heads, short ears, and webbed toes. They are aquatic, and feed on fish. Their fur is soft and valuable. The common otter of Europe is Lutra vulgaris; the American otter is L. Canadensis; other species inhabit South America and Asia.

2. (Zoöl.) The larva of the ghost moth. It is very injurious to hop vines.

Otter hound, Otter dog (Zoöl.), a small breed of hounds, used in England for hunting otters. — Otter sheep. See Ancon sheep, under Ancon. — Otter shell (Zoöl.), very large bivalve mollusk (Schizothærus Nuttallii) found on the northwest coast of America. It is excellent food, and is extensively used by the Indians. — Sea otter. (Zoöl.) See in the Vocabulary.

Otter
(Ot"ter), n. A corruption of Annotto.

Otto
(Ot"to) n. See Attar.

Ottoman
(Ot"to*man) a. [F. ottoman: cf. It. ottomano, ottomanno; — from Othoman, Othman, or Osman, the name of a sultan who assumed the government of Turkey about the year 1300. Cf. Osmanli, Ottoman a stuffed seat.] Of or pertaining to the Turks; as, the Ottoman power or empire.

Ottoman
(Ot"to*man), n.; pl. Ottomans

1. A Turk.

2. [F. ottomane, from ottoman Turkish.] A stuffed seat without a back, originally used in Turkey.

Ottomite
(Ot"to*mite) n. An Ottoman. [R.] Shak.

Ottrelite
(Ot"trel*ite) n. [From Ottrez, on the borders of Luxembourg.] (Min.) A micaceous mineral occurring in small scales. It is characteristic of certain crystalline schists.

Ouakari
(||Oua*ka"ri) n. [From the native name.] (Zoöl.) Any South American monkey of the genus Brachyurus, especially B. ouakari.

Ouanderoo
(||Ouan`der*oo") n. (Zoöl.) The wanderoo.

Ouarine
(Oua`rine") n. [F.] (Zoöl.) A Brazilian monkey of the genus Mycetes.

Oubliette
(||Ou`bli`ette") n. [F., fr. oublier to forget, fr. (assumed) LL. oblitare, L. oblivisci, p. p. oblitus.] A dungeon with an opening only at the top, found in some old castles and other strongholds, into which persons condemned to perpetual imprisonment, or to perish secretly, were thrust, or lured to fall.

Sudden in the sun
An oubliette winks. Where is he? Gone.

Mrs. Browning.

Ouch
(Ouch) n. [OE. ouch, nouche (a nouch being taken for an ouch: cf. Adder), fr. OF. nusche, nosche, nousche, buckle, clasp, LL. nusca, fr. OHG. nusca, nuscha.] A socket or bezel holding a precious stone; hence, a jewel or ornament worn on the person.

A precious stone in a rich ouche.

Sir T. Elyot.

Your brooches, pearls, and ouches.

Shak.

Oughne
(Ough"ne) a. Own. [Obs.] Chaucer.