トド

ト

ド

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Steller sea lion; northern sea lion

usually written using kana alone

Refers specifically to the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), a large sea lion found in the North Pacific.

アザラシ
アザラシ is an earless seal, while トド (Steller sea lion) is a large eared seal in the アシカ family, not a true seal.

トドUsage33%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this animal name; usually written in kana.
とどUsage58%
Hiragana spelling is also used, though katakana is more common.
海馬とどUsage6%
Rare kanji spelling; 海馬 is more commonly read かいば (seahorse) or うみうま (sea horse).
胡獱とどUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Very rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
魹とど
rarely-used kanji form
Very rare kanji form; it is rarely used.

The origin of the word トド is uncertain. It may be from Ainu or another indigenous language of northern Japan, but the exact derivation is unclear.