critter

noun

crit·​ter ˈkri-tər How to pronounce critter (audio)
informal
: an animal : creature sense 1
Most of her sublime illustrations involve hippos and pigs, which are appealing critters, especially when they have a few chocolate smudges around the mouth.People Weekly
When the wind is blowing just so, the field is set afire on three sides, and all manner of critters get flushed out of one end—snakes, possums, raccoons, and rabbits, lots of rabbits.Alexander Wolff
Flies, gnats, mosquitoes, ticks, mites and lice pester your horse year-round. If you ignore them, these critters can cause your equine friend months of misery.Charlene Strickland
sometimes used of a person
Sale admits that humans, being the relatively big-brained critters we are, cannot do without technology …M. Kujawa

Examples of critter in a Sentence

The woods are filled with skunks, raccoons, and other critters. she's so fond of every kind of critter that she ought to be a veterinarian
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Costumes and critters at Cincinnati Zoo for HallZOOween | See our photos. Rasputin Todd, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024 The National Park Service could coordinate with local and state government agencies and nonprofit groups to ensure mountain lions, bears and other local critters can safely move among mountain ranges. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 My garden is home to many birds, bugs, rodents, and other forest critters. Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 As an example, years ago Florida researchers had been hearing claims about the decimation of meso mammals, which are medium-sized critters like raccoons, rabbits, and possums. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for critter 

Word History

Etymology

by alteration

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of critter was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near critter

Cite this Entry

“Critter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critter. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

critter

noun
crit·​ter ˈkrit-ər How to pronounce critter (audio)
informal
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!