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
The goal is to build a mini-forest of mangroves that buffer the campus from waves and high tides, help clean the water and provide a habitat for the manatees, tarpon and other wildlife that are regularly spotted in the area.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Either way, be sure to keep an eye out for the reserve’s native animal population, including fish, crabs, turtles, herons, flamingos, foxes, and dugongs, cousins to the North American manatee.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
The Mote Science Education Aquarium is a world-class facility that houses manatees, sharks, sea turtles, otters, and many other marine species.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
Three more manatees are in the backstage area, one of which had major surgery for an infection last year.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manatee
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Either way, be sure to keep an eye out for the reserve’s native animal population, including fish, crabs, turtles, herons, flamingos, foxes, and dugongs, cousins to the North American manatee.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
The Mote Science Education Aquarium is a world-class facility that houses manatees, sharks, sea turtles, otters, and many other marine species.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
Three more manatees are in the backstage area, one of which had major surgery for an infection last year.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 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 3 Feb. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
