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

Illustration of manatee

Examples of manatee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Only accessible by boat or plane, the park consists of canals, rainforests, and lagoons that are home to manatees, jaguars, and countless other wildlife species. —Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025

Dugongs are related to manatees and, like manatees, are herbivores feeding on marine plants, according to Oceana. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

And in winter, springs that attract manatees can be equally crowded. —Christopher F. Meindl, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025

The zoo is already rehabbing three other manatees named Clawford, Sabal and Cobble, who are under the care of a momma manatee, Stubby, who will be the foster mother to all six. —Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for manatee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids 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