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
Recent Examples on the Web
Sharks, whales, rays, turtles, dolphins, and even the rare dugong (a manatee-like creature) swim these stunning seas alongside hundreds of species of fish.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
After receiving permission from the government, Brevard County Public Works removed 10,000 pounds of concrete — a volume that illustrates how deeply trapped the manatee was within the infrastructure.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Blake Faucett, marine mammal biologist with FWC and the onsite lead for the manatee rescue, described the animal’s condition.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
Video footage from Fox 35 Orlando shows the moment the manatee was lifted out — a striking scene that captured the scale of the effort.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
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Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2026
After receiving permission from the government, Brevard County Public Works removed 10,000 pounds of concrete — a volume that illustrates how deeply trapped the manatee was within the infrastructure.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
Blake Faucett, marine mammal biologist with FWC and the onsite lead for the manatee rescue, described the animal’s condition.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2026
Video footage from Fox 35 Orlando shows the moment the manatee was lifted out — a striking scene that captured the scale of the effort.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 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 17 Mar. 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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