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 Trump administration's push to cut the federal workforce led to the firing of a quarter of the staff at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida's only manatee refuge, during peak season.
—Yacob Reyes, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
Activities range from kayaking with dolphins and manatees to sunset cruises and pickleball matches.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2025
But Florida has more than 175 state parks home to such diverse species as Florida black bear, the Florida panther, manatees, Florida scrub jays, and American alligators and crocodiles.
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 21 Feb. 2025
Visitors can spot wildlife like manatees and dolphins while on kayaking tours and enjoy beautiful sunsets from the soft sand beach.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manatee
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Yacob Reyes, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
Activities range from kayaking with dolphins and manatees to sunset cruises and pickleball matches.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2025
But Florida has more than 175 state parks home to such diverse species as Florida black bear, the Florida panther, manatees, Florida scrub jays, and American alligators and crocodiles.
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 21 Feb. 2025
Visitors can spot wildlife like manatees and dolphins while on kayaking tours and enjoy beautiful sunsets from the soft sand beach.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2025
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 Mar. 2025.
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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