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
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Explore the Outdoors From hitting the water on a paddleboard or kayak to zooming around on WaveRunners, taking boat tours or simply watching for manatees and dolphins, this is a coastal playground with adventure for everyone.
—South Seas, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
But for the Mathers family, their journey included face-to-face encounters with a friendly manatee, a vicious alligator and dolphins swimming directly underneath their home on the water.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Crystal River and Homosassa are only about 30 minutes away from Inverness by car, and manatee season runs from November through March.
—India Amos, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Seagrass meadows stabilize sediments, improve water clarity and provide critical habitat and forage for species ranging from invertebrates to sea turtles and manatees.
—Hannah V. Herrero, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
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South Seas, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
But for the Mathers family, their journey included face-to-face encounters with a friendly manatee, a vicious alligator and dolphins swimming directly underneath their home on the water.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Crystal River and Homosassa are only about 30 minutes away from Inverness by car, and manatee season runs from November through March.
—India Amos, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026
Seagrass meadows stabilize sediments, improve water clarity and provide critical habitat and forage for species ranging from invertebrates to sea turtles and manatees.
—Hannah V. Herrero, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manatee
Cite this Entry
“Manatee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manatee. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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
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