dugong

American  

[doo-gong, -gawng] / ˈdu gɒŋ, -gɔŋ /

noun

1. an herbivorous, aquatic mammal, Dugong dugon, of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, having a barrel-shaped body, flipperlike forelimbs, no hind limbs, and a triangular tail: widespread but rare.

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dugong British  

/ ˈduːɡɒŋ /

noun

1. a whalelike sirenian mammal, Dugong dugon, occurring in shallow tropical waters from E Africa to Australia: family Dugongidae

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Etymology

Origin of dugong

1790–1800; < New Latin < German: first recorded as dugung, apparently misrepresentation of Malay duyung, or a cognate Austronesian word

Compare meaning

How does dugong compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dugong vs. manatee

Example Sentences

Pyenson also noted that sea cow fossils often appear in mixed species groups, making it likely that further research at the site could uncover additional dugong relatives.

From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2025

An in-house research facility will study aquatic life in the Persian Gulf and support the conservation of local species, including the manatee-like endangered dugong.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2023

This year, the union is sounding the alarm about the dugong - a large and docile marine mammal that lives from the eastern coast of Africa to the western Pacific Ocean.

From Washington Times • Dec. 9, 2022

The dugong population of New Caledonia, a French island territory in the South Pacific, is now listed as endangered.

From Scientific American • Dec. 9, 2022

The latter country possesses an organised dugong fishery, which bids fair to exterminate this harmless animal.

From Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon by Sterndale, Robert Armitage