manatee
[man-uh-tee, man-uh-tee]
- any of several plant-eating aquatic mammals of the genus Trichechus, of West Indian, Floridian, and Gulf Coast waters, having two flippers in front and a broad, spoon-shaped tail: all species are endangered.
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Origin of manatee
1545–55; < Spanish manatí < Carib, but associated with Latin manātus provided with hands
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for manatee
Historical Examples
The manatee ranges from the mouth of the Amazon to the upper waters.
The Western WorldW.H.G. Kingston
The manatee feeds on the grass growing at the borders of the lakes and rivers.
On the Banks of the AmazonW.H.G. Kingston
You say that you first met Rufus Shepley aboard the Manatee?
The Brand of SilenceHarrington Strong
Squier and Davis, who first figured it, supposed it to represent a manatee, or sea-cow.
The Prehistoric WorldE. A. Allen
Isle of Batts, very large; and numerous Turtles and Manatee.
manatee
- any sirenian mammal of the genus Trichechus, occurring in tropical coastal waters of America, the Caribbean, and Africa: family Trichechidae. They resemble whales and have a prehensile upper lip and a broad flattened tail
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Word Origin
C16: via Spanish from Carib Manattouī
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for manatee
n.
1550s, from Spanish manati (1530s), from Carib manati "breast, udder." Often associated with Latin manatus "having hands," because the flippers resemble hands.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper