manatee

noun

man·​a·​tee ˈma-nə-ˌtē How to pronounce manatee (audio)
: 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

Illustration of manatee

Illustration of manatee

Examples of manatee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Destruction from Florida to Virginia Along Florida’s Gulf Coast, several feet of water swamped the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, forcing workers to move two manatees and sea turtles. Jason Ma, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2024 Two manatees, Yeti and Zamboni, were moved to ZooTampa at Lowry Park after the storm, which is now evacuating and securing its animals. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2024 Canaveral is the longest stretch of undeveloped coast on the Atlantic coast of Florida, protecting wildlife such as manatee and sea turtles, as well as ancient shell mounds left by the native Temicua. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 28 July 2024 Described as the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States by the National Park Service, the Everglades is home to alligators, flamingos, egrets, manatees, and the Florida panther. Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for manatee 

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.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish manatí, probably of Carib origin; akin to Antillean Carib manattoüi manatee

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manatee was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near manatee

Cite this Entry

“Manatee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manatee. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

manatee

noun
man·​a·​tee ˈman-ə-ˌtē How to pronounce manatee (audio)
: 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

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