manta

¹ American  

[man-tuh, mahn-tah] / ˈmæn tə, ˈmɑn tɑ /

noun

plural

mantas

1. (in Spain and Spanish America) a cloak or wrap.

2. a type of blanket or cloth used on a horse or mule.

3. Military. a movable shelter formerly used to protect besiegers, as when attacking a fortress.

4. Also called manta ray.  Also called devilfish.  Also called devil ray.  Ichthyology. any of several tropical rays of the small family Mobulidae, especially of the genus Manta, measuring from 2 to 24 feet (0.6 to 7.3 meters) across, including the pectoral fins.

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Manta ² American  

[mahn-tah, -tuh] / ˈmɑn tɑ, -tə /

noun

1. a seaport in W Ecuador, on Manta Bay.

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manta British  

/ ˈmæntə, ˈmanta /

noun

1. Also called: manta ray.   devilfish.   devil ray.  any large ray (fish) of the family Mobulidae, having very wide winglike pectoral fins and feeding on plankton

2. a rough cotton cloth made in Spain and Spanish America

3. a piece of this used as a blanket or shawl

4. another word for mantelet

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Etymology

Origin of manta

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Spanish, from Provençal: literally, “blanket”; mantle

Example Sentences

Similar actions have been documented in manta rays and dolphins, which release bubbles and observe them rising in a mirror.

From Science Daily

Friday's decisions move whale sharks, manta rays and devil rays onto Appendix I after countries on Thursday did the same for the critically endangered oceanic whitetip shark.

From Barron's

Perhaps the manta ray-looking underwater vessel was being tested in their backyard?

From Los Angeles Times

Not a stingray, not a manta ray, but an electric ray.

From Literature

The soft robot has fins shaped like those of a manta ray, and is made of a material that is stable when the fins are spread wide.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• cloth
• scarf
• stole