"critter" meaning in English

See critter in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈkɹɪtɚ/ [General-American], /ˈkɹɪtə/ [Received-Pronunciation] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-critter.wav Forms: critters [plural]
enPR: krĭtʹər [General-American] Rhymes: -ɪtə(ɹ) Etymology: First attested 1815, from a dialectal pronunciation of creature. Head templates: {{en-noun}} critter (plural critters)
  1. (usually endearing, US, Australia) A creature, an animal. Tags: Australia, US, endearing, usually Translations (a creature): tvor [masculine] (Czech), stvoření [neuter] (Czech), luontokappale (Finnish), bébête [feminine] (French), bestiole [feminine] (French), Kreatur [feminine] (German), Tier [neuter] (German), bestiola [feminine] (Italian), animaletto [masculine] (Italian), futrzak [masculine] (Polish), stworzonko [neuter] (Polish), criatura [feminine] (Portuguese), creatură [feminine] (Romanian), vietate [feminine] (Romanian), зверюшка (zverjuška) [feminine] (Russian), зверушка (zveruška) [feminine] (Russian), зверёк (zverjók) [masculine] (Russian), criatura [feminine] (Spanish), bichito [masculine] (Spanish), críter [Peru, masculine] (Spanish), kreatur [neuter] (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-critter-en-noun-gL6AmPL9 Categories (other): American English, Australian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms with early reduction of Middle English /iu̯r(ə)/, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 58 42 Disambiguation of English terms with early reduction of Middle English /iu̯r(ə)/: 50 50 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 67 33 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 61 39 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 68 32 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 64 36 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 71 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 67 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 68 32 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 76 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 65 35 Disambiguation of 'a creature': 99 1
  2. (rail transport, US) A small locomotive used in an industrial setting. Tags: US Categories (topical): Rail transportation
    Sense id: en-critter-en-noun-g22T3Oc8 Categories (other): American English, English terms with early reduction of Middle English /iu̯r(ə)/ Disambiguation of English terms with early reduction of Middle English /iu̯r(ə)/: 50 50 Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: congresscritter, crispy critter, crittercam, critterproof, crotch critter, gendercritter, salescritter, spokescritter, werecritter Coordinate_terms: beastie

Inflected forms

{
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "beastie"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "congresscritter"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "crispy critter"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "crittercam"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "critterproof"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "crotch critter"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "gendercritter"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "salescritter"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "spokescritter"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "werecritter"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "First attested 1815, from a dialectal pronunciation of creature.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "critters",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "critter (plural critters)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "crit‧ter"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Australian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "58 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with early reduction of Middle English /iu̯r(ə)/",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "64 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "65 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32:",
          "text": "The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters such as ostrich, wild boar and crocodile.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A creature, an animal."
      ],
      "id": "en-critter-en-noun-gL6AmPL9",
      "links": [
        [
          "endearing",
          "endearing"
        ],
        [
          "creature",
          "creature"
        ],
        [
          "animal",
          "animal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(usually endearing, US, Australia) A creature, an animal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "US",
        "endearing",
        "usually"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "tvor"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "stvoření"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "word": "luontokappale"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bébête"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bestiole"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Kreatur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Tier"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bestiola"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "animaletto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "futrzak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "stworzonko"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "criatura"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "creatură"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "vietate"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zverjuška",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "зверюшка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zveruška",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "зверушка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zverjók",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "зверёк"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "criatura"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "bichito"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "Peru",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "críter"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "a creature",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "kreatur"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rail transportation",
          "orig": "en:Rail transportation",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with early reduction of Middle English /iu̯r(ə)/",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2025 March 7 (last accessed), R. Craig Rutherford, The Diesel Shop:",
          "text": "One of the biggest challenges facing a railfan photographer is the correct identification of one manufacturer's \"critter\" locomotive from that of another competing builder.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small locomotive used in an industrial setting."
      ],
      "id": "en-critter-en-noun-g22T3Oc8",
      "links": [
        [
          "rail transport",
          "rail transport"
        ],
        [
          "locomotive",
          "locomotive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rail transport, US) A small locomotive used in an industrial setting."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "rail-transport",
        "railways",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "krĭtʹər",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɹɪtɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɹɪtə/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-critter.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ac/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ac/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪtə(ɹ)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "critter"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with early reduction of Middle English /iu̯r(ə)/",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪtə(ɹ)",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪtə(ɹ)/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "beastie"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "congresscritter"
    },
    {
      "word": "crispy critter"
    },
    {
      "word": "crittercam"
    },
    {
      "word": "critterproof"
    },
    {
      "word": "crotch critter"
    },
    {
      "word": "gendercritter"
    },
    {
      "word": "salescritter"
    },
    {
      "word": "spokescritter"
    },
    {
      "word": "werecritter"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "First attested 1815, from a dialectal pronunciation of creature.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "critters",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "critter (plural critters)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  ],
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    "crit‧ter"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "Australian English",
        "English endearing terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32:",
          "text": "The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters such as ostrich, wild boar and crocodile.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A creature, an animal."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "endearing",
          "endearing"
        ],
        [
          "creature",
          "creature"
        ],
        [
          "animal",
          "animal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(usually endearing, US, Australia) A creature, an animal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia",
        "US",
        "endearing",
        "usually"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Rail transportation"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2025 March 7 (last accessed), R. Craig Rutherford, The Diesel Shop:",
          "text": "One of the biggest challenges facing a railfan photographer is the correct identification of one manufacturer's \"critter\" locomotive from that of another competing builder.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small locomotive used in an industrial setting."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "rail transport",
          "rail transport"
        ],
        [
          "locomotive",
          "locomotive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rail transport, US) A small locomotive used in an industrial setting."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "rail-transport",
        "railways",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "krĭtʹər",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɹɪtɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɹɪtə/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-critter.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ac/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ac/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-critter.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪtə(ɹ)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tvor"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "stvoření"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "word": "luontokappale"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bébête"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bestiole"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Kreatur"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Tier"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bestiola"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "animaletto"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "futrzak"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "stworzonko"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "criatura"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "creatură"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "vietate"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zverjuška",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "зверюшка"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zveruška",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "зверушка"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zverjók",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "зверёк"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "criatura"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "bichito"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "Peru",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "críter"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "a creature",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "kreatur"
    }
  ],
  "word": "critter"
}

Download raw JSONL data for critter meaning in English (5.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.