: any of a genus (Trichechus of the family Trichechidae) of large, herbivorous, aquatic mammals that inhabit warm coastal and inland waters of the southeastern U.S., West Indies, northern South America, and West Africa and have a rounded body, a small head with a squarish snout, paddle-shaped flippers usually with vestigial nails, and a flattened, rounded tail used for propulsion

Note: Manatees are sirenians related to and resembling the dugong but differing most notably in the shape of the tail.

An aquatic relative of the elephant, manatees grow up to nine feet long and can weigh 1,000 pounds. Felicity Barringer

Illustration of manatee

Illustration of manatee

Examples of manatee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This park offers plenty opportunities for no-swim manatee sightings, from the boardwalk over Pepper Creek to an underwater observation bubble. Valerie Rains, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2025 During winter months, manatees gather in warm-water areas such as natural springs and power plant discharge zones. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025 Here are some of the most conversation-inducing stories of 2024: Nearly 1,000 manatees huddle for warmth amid cold spell On Jan. 21, park rangers in Orange City, Florida, spotted a massive crowd of manatees in the clear waters of a natural spring. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2024 In Central Florida, the most popular of these is Blue Spring State Park, a wintertime haven for manatees and a summertime oasis for tourists and locals alike. Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for manatee

Word History

Etymology

Spanish manatí, probably of Carib origin; akin to Antillean Carib manattoüi manatee

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manatee was in 1555

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Manatee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manatee. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

: any of several chiefly tropical water-dwelling mammals that eat plants and differ from the related dugong especially in having the tail broad and rounded

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