manatee
Americannoun
-
manatees
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of manatee
1545–55; < Spanish manatí < Carib, but associated with Latin manātus provided with hands
Compare meaning
How does manatee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A manatee is a peaceful, slow-moving sea creature that's often called a "sea cow." Manatees graze on ocean plants in marshy, shallow areas. You may have to travel a bit to see a manatee — you can find them in coastal areas of the Caribbean Sea, the Amazon basin, and the West Indies, as well as a few rivers in Africa. Manatees are known for their gentleness and curiosity, which sometimes puts them at risk of harm, like when they get dangerously close to ship propellers and fishing nets. Unfortunately, humans are the main cause of death for young, healthy manatees.
Vocabulary lists containing manatee
Marine Biology - Introductory
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Marine Biology - Middle School
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Marine Biology - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Florida manatee demonstrates the pitfalls of the blanket-rule approach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
A manatee and its calf drift underwater in Hunter Springs, Florida.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2024
It’s more difficult to rehabilitate an animal like a sawfish than it is for an air-breathing marine creature, such as a dolphin or manatee, officials say.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
A young manatee headed from Columbus, Ohio, back to Florida.Credit...
From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
You can’t hold a manatee in your hand either.
From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate
In an accompanying statement, the groups argued the rule changes could immediately harm wildlife including Florida manatees, grizzly bears, salmon and steelhead fish, bird species like rufa red knots and golden-cheeked warblers, and insect pollinators.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
The ancient animals still had hind limb bones, which living dugongs and manatees lost during their evolution.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 12, 2025
A local nonprofit in the state of Tamaulipas issued a report documenting animal deaths in a region known as a nesting ground for manatees, sharks, whales and other animals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2025
"This year, there were three dead manatees, five dead buffalo. We found more than 10 caimans. We found turtles, capybaras, birds, thousands of dead fish," she said last June.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2025
“You liked a lot of animals back then. Rats, manatees, cheetahs. You name it.”
From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
