Definition of castor

The origins of the word "castor" can be traced back to the Latin language, where it was originally spelled "castorem" and pronounced "kas-teo-rem". The word derived from the Latin name for a beaver-like animal found in ancient Eurasia and Europe, known as the European otter (Lutra lutra). In mythology, the ancient Greeks associated this beaver-like animal with the river god Castor, who was said to travel the rivers on land and by sea in transformed otter form. The Greeks named both the animal and the river god after the Greek word "kastòr", meaning "to excavate or dig" due to the otter's reputation for digging and constructing dams in rivers. The Latin word "castorem" originated from the Greek word "kastòr" and evolved over time in northern and western European dialects. In Old French, the word was "castor", and in Middle English, it became "castour". Eventually, in the late 14th century, the English adopted the modern spelling "castor". In summary, the word "castor" comes from the Latin "castorem" which was derived from the Greek "kastòr", meaning "to excavate or dig", and refers to the European otter, once associated with the ancient Greek river god Castor.