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.
There was no sign of critter activity inside the house, though evidence of their presence was said to have been found in vehicles linked to the couple. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2025 As of Monday, thousands of the critters — called velella velella or by-the-wind sailors — have been sighted along the California coastline since the start of March, according to iNaturalist, an online platform for sharing biodiversity information. Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2025 The game tasks players with caring for an artificially intelligent horde of digital critters whose influence on Cameron becomes all too powerful ahead of the episode's twist ending. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2025 The Charlotte Observer spoke to Chris Hayes, an extension associate of structural pest management at NC State University who specializes educating the pest management industry on critter habits, to find out. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Critter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critter. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

critter

noun
crit·​ter ˈkrit-ər How to pronounce critter (audio)
informal
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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