castor
/kasˈtoɾ/masculine
The Spanish word for beaver is castor.
The word castor refers to the semiaquatic rodent.
Meaning: semiaquatic rodent (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word castor is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kasˈtoɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word castor is also used to describe a specific type of wide-brimmed felt hat made from the animal's fur.
- Spanish has no single word for 'dam' that is used exclusively for beavers, so they use presa, which also means 'dam' for humans or 'prey' for predators.
- The word castor comes from the Latin castor, which was originally borrowed from the Greek word for the animal.
Examples in context
- Una fuga de petróleo fue contenido por un dique de castores en Alberta.An oil leak was contained by a beaver dam in Alberta.This sentence is useful for seeing how castor is used in the context of a dam.Tatoeba #2436544 by MethodGT, translation #875529 by Scott
- El ornitorrinco es un mamífero con pico de pato, pelaje denso similar al de una nutria y cola similar a la de un castor. Tiene patas palmeadas y se reproduce poniendo huevos en lugar de dar a luz como otros mamíferos.The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a mammal with duck-like beak, dense fur similar to that of an otter and tail similar to that of a beaver. It has palmate legs and reproduces by laying eggs instead of giving birth like other mammals.This sentence uses castor to describe the physical characteristics of a platypus by comparison.Tatoeba #12163326 by carlosalberto, translation #12651051 by urro
- El castor es un animal muy hábil a la hora de construir represas.The beaver is a very skilled animal when it comes to building dams.
- El castor americano es conocido por sus grandes habilidades constructivas.The American beaver is known for its great building skills.
- El castero es un animal fascinante que vive en los ríos.The beaver is a fascinating animal that lives in rivers.
- El castor construye una presa en el río.The beaver builds a dam in the river.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are visiting a wildlife park.
- LucíaMira, ¡hay un castor en el agua!Look, there is a beaver in the water!
- JavierEs increíble cómo corta la madera.It's incredible how it cuts the wood.
- LucíaEl castor es un animal muy trabajador.The beaver is a very hardworking animal.
- JavierTienes razón, Lucía.You are right, Lucía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beaver” translations and entries castor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries castor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
