Illustration of manatee
manatee
noun
man·a·tee
ˈma-nə-ˌtē 
: any of a genus (Trichechus of the family Trichechidae) of large, herbivorous, aquatic mammals that inhabit warm coastal and inland waters of the southeastern U.S., West Indies, northern South America, and West Africa and have a rounded body, a small head with a squarish snout, paddle-shaped flippers usually with vestigial nails, and a flattened, rounded tail used for propulsion
Note: Manatees are sirenians related to and resembling the dugong but differing most notably in the shape of the tail.
An aquatic relative of the elephant, manatees grow up to nine feet long and can weigh 1,000 pounds.—
Felicity Barringer
Felicity Barringer
Examples of manatee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest this UNESCO World Heritage Site protects many species, including the Amazonian manatee, the giant otter, jaguar and the margay.
—USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Are manatees endangered?Here's the current conservation status of the marine mammal.
—USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Pineapples, manatees, reefs so thick with fish that boats could barely row to shore.
—Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
And, along the way, there is always a chance for a dolphin or manatee sighting.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Rangers rang in 2024 with an official Blue Spring record, counting 736 manatees in the park on New Year’s Day, and impressive totals between 200 and 700 manatees continued in the following weeks, updated routinely on the park’s Instagram.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
Within the preserve, visitors will also find more than 200 archeological sites with evidence of 6,000-plus years of human life, dolphins, migratory birds, and possibly a sighting of a rare West Indian manatee or loggerhead sea turtle.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024
There’s plenty for nature lovers, too: Spot alligators, manatees and dolphins; meander beneath stately banyan trees; and take a kayak for a spin through the wild mangroves.
—Valeriya Safronova, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Comolli’s departure comes in the wake of a succession of critical inspection reports at Seaquarium, underlining inadequate medical staff and equipment, and the recent death of a dolphin and removal of three manatees.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024
Are manatees endangered?Here's the current conservation status of the marine mammal.
—USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Pineapples, manatees, reefs so thick with fish that boats could barely row to shore.
—Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
And, along the way, there is always a chance for a dolphin or manatee sighting.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Rangers rang in 2024 with an official Blue Spring record, counting 736 manatees in the park on New Year’s Day, and impressive totals between 200 and 700 manatees continued in the following weeks, updated routinely on the park’s Instagram.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
Within the preserve, visitors will also find more than 200 archeological sites with evidence of 6,000-plus years of human life, dolphins, migratory birds, and possibly a sighting of a rare West Indian manatee or loggerhead sea turtle.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024
There’s plenty for nature lovers, too: Spot alligators, manatees and dolphins; meander beneath stately banyan trees; and take a kayak for a spin through the wild mangroves.
—Valeriya Safronova, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Comolli’s departure comes in the wake of a succession of critical inspection reports at Seaquarium, underlining inadequate medical staff and equipment, and the recent death of a dolphin and removal of three manatees.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'manatee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near manatee
Cite this Entry
“Manatee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manatee. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
manatee
noun
man·a·tee
ˈman-ə-ˌtē
: any of several chiefly tropical water-dwelling mammals that eat plants and differ from the related dugong especially in having the tail broad and rounded
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share