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

Slightly more manatees died this year in Florida than in previous years, although the number was not as high as that in 2021 and 2022, when a record die-off prompted widespread alarm. —Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 Nov. 2025

Kayak rentals are available for viewing the manatees close up. —Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 7 Nov. 2025

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

Wildlife, from endangered loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles to manatees is abundant. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 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