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

Dugong is a close relative of the manatees in the same order, Sirenia. —Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

During the boat ride, the captain and crew will scout for marine life like dolphins, turtles or manatees. —Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025

So, state officials and conservationists are scrambling to figure out alternatives for the beloved – and threatened – manatee. —Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2025

Listen to this article Visitors flock to Volusia County’s Blue Spring State Park in droves to see manatees huddled for warmth in the wintertime, and the park typically draws capacity crowds amid summertime swimming weather. —Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Mar. 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