fur seal

Any of several seals of the genera Callorhinus and Arctocephalus, having thick fur and external ears. Fur seals were heavily hunted for their pelts, but most species are now protected.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fur seal

(Animals) any of various eared seals, esp of the genus Arctocephalus, that have a fine dense underfur and are hunted as a source of sealskin

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fur′ seal`

any of several eared seals having a valuable plush underfur. Compare hair seal.

[1765–75]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	fur seal - an eared seal of the northern Pacific eared seal - pinniped mammal having external ear flaps and hind limbs used for locomotion on land; valued for its soft underfur Callorhinus, genus Callorhinus - fur seals Alaska fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus - of Pacific coast from Alaska southward to California
	2.	fur seal - eared seal of the southern hemisphere; the thick soft underfur is the source of sealskin; "the male fur seal is much larger than the female" eared seal - pinniped mammal having external ear flaps and hind limbs used for locomotion on land; valued for its soft underfur Arctocephalus, genus Arctocephalus - fur seals Arctocephalus philippi, guadalupe fur seal - a fur seal of the Pacific coast of California and southward

Translations

lachtan

Seebär

merikarhu

котик

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Sea Catch was fifteen years old, a huge gray fur seal with almost a mane on his shoulders, and long, wicked dog teeth.

View in context

The plan was to visit the coast and watch the endemic New Zealand fur seal colony in action.

Take a trip to windy Wellington

Fur seal pups are some of the cutest young animals you could see but are extremely feisty.

Antarctic adventures

Studies of coastal artisanal fisheries in southwestern Atlantic Ocean suggest that franciscana dolphins, South American sea lions (sea lion hereafter) and South American fur seals (fur seal hereafter) are the most frequently incidentally caught species (Franco-Trecu et al., 2009).

Marine mammal bycatch by the industrial bottom trawl fishery at the Rio de la Plata Estuary and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean

It allows you to monitor Victoria's fur seal populations and contribute to vital data gathering from the comfort of your home.

Eco twists, tweets and turns: THE STORIES BELOW FEATURE UNIQUE WAYS THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH METHODS ARE BEING USED TO UNDERSTAND OUR LIVING--AND CHANGING--WORLD

The seal in the footage was identified as a New Zealand fur seal, according to a report by The Verge.

WATCH: Seal slaps kayaker with live octopus

"The government was managing the fur seal harvest out there, that was the main industry back in the 1800s.

Tanadgusix Corporation: Building expertise to benefit St. Paul

The first commercial hunting of seals in the South Atlantic is said to have occurred in 1515, with the delivery to Seville of fur seal skins gathered in Uruguay.

Charting the sealing islands of the Southern Ocean

IT might be only a baby, but this curious fur seal pup has already mastered the skill of diving.

When I grow up I want to be a deep seal diver

Intensive fishing has not forced dietary change in the South American fur seal Arctophoca (= Arctocephalus) australis off Rio de la Plata and adjoining areas.

Ocorrencia de mamiferos marinhos no verao austral em aguas profundas da Convergencia Subtropical no Atlantico Sul Ocidental, Argentina

He is said to be in a serious condition with a major injury to his arm after being bitten by what is believed to have been a fur seal, which can weigh up to 700lbs.

Seal bite Brit rescued from remote island