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

Jupiter Dive Center offers snorkeling tours near the Jupiter Lighthouse inlet to see starfish, crabs, and maybe a manatee passing through. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2025

The population of manatees in Florida has steadily risen from about 1,500 in the 1990s to somewhere between 8,350 to 11,730. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024

Nutrient pollution and human development had set off algae blooms that choked out any other plants in the water—including the eelgrass that manatees rely on. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2024

Next, explore the Colson Cayes, a magical collection of mangrove islands home to manatees and dolphins, and experience incredible snorkeling on untouched reefs. —Patricia Johnson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish manatí, probably of Carib origin; akin to Antillean Carib manattoüi manatee

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

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