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

The north end of the beach features Whiskey Creek, a quiet brackish river that is great for kayaking and occasionally spotting some manatees (though highly unlikely at this time of year). — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Families can also go boating to try and spot whale sharks and manatees in the lagoon or opt for less exciting but just as rewarding sunset cruises. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026

Today, manatee sightings here are scarce, but there’s still plenty of reason to pay a visit. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026

Florida has dozens of native animals on federal and state endangered species lists, including the Florida panther, West Indian manatee, smalltooth sawfish, hawksbill sea turtle and Everglades snail kite. — Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026

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