manatee

American  

[man-uh-tee, man-uh-tee] / ˈmæn əˌti, ˌmæn əˈti /

noun

• manatees
  plural

1. 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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manatee British  

/ ˈmænəˌtiː, ˌmænəˈtiː /

noun

1. 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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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• manatoid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• manatees
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of manatee

1545–55; < Spanish manatí < Carib, but associated with Latin manātus provided with hands

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Compare meaning

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

• dugong vs. manatee
• sea cow vs. manatee

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

manatee manatees

The Florida manatee demonstrates the pitfalls of the blanket-rule approach.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025

In Tampa Bay, the manatee population wasn't deemed plentiful until the 1950s.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024

All three manatee species are listed as vulnerable to extinction due to a variety of threats including boat collisions, hunting and habitat destruction.

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

The gentle manatee, often taken for the fabled water goddess Mami Wata, was actually a highly endangered species found in only a few parts of the world, including the Volta Lake.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

DHL Express transported four rescued manatees from zoos in Ohio to Florida.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

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

Originally known as shrews, the small African mammals are more closely related to elephants, manatees and aardvarks and were officially renamed as sengi in 1998.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026

Plastic straws were also noted sticking out of sea turtle nostrils, and sickening or killing seabirds, fish, manatees, dolphins and other marine mammals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2025

As huge as manatees are, they feed strictly on vegetation and have no appetite for humans.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

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