Skip to content

otarie

sea lion

noun oh-tah-REE Rare

Origin: Modern Latin otaria, from Greek ous, 'ear'

Usage Note

Otarie refers specifically to eared seals (sea lions and fur seals), distinguishing them from phoques (true seals, which lack external ear flaps). The name comes from their visible ears. Female sea lions are called otaries femelles; the species is popular in aquarium shows.

Examples

"L'otarie nage avec grâce dans l'eau."

Natural Translation

The sea lion swims gracefully in the water.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic