fastener consisting of a wedge or pin inserted through a slot to hold two other pieces together
source: WordNet 3.0
A cottager; a cottier.
source: Webster 1913
A piece of wood or metal, commonly wedge- shaped, used for fastening together parts of a machine or structure. It is driven into an opening through one or all of the parts. [See Illust.] In the United States a cotter is commonly called a key.
