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monk seal

American

noun

a small, dark brown, subtropical seal of the genus Monachus: the three species, M. tropicalis of the Caribbean, M. schauinslandi of Hawaiian island regions, and M. monachus of the Mediterranean, are endangered.

Etymology

Origin of monk seal

1835–45; apparently translation of the NL genus name Monachus ( see monk), originally a specific name ( Phoca monacha ), probably in allusion to the animal's gray coloration and isolated breeding sites; compare French moine, Italian monaco the monk seal, literally, monk

Example Sentences

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monk seal

The research team used passive acoustic recorders placed at five important monk seal habitats, spanning sites from Molokaʻi to the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2025

Over the summer, researchers spotted a young monk seal with a spotted eel hanging out of its nose.

From NewsForKids.net ● Feb. 2, 2024

The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2023

The global Mediterranean monk seal population is estimated at between 400 and 500, placing it among the rarest marine mammals, Baz said.

From Reuters ● May 15, 2023

The April 14 birth marked the third consecutive year a monk seal gave birth to a pup on Kaimana Beach.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 22, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023