Illustration of manatee
manatee
noun
man·a·tee
ˈma-nə-ˌtē 
: 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
Felicity Barringer
Examples of manatee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Corwin, a biologist and conservationist who has hosted TV shows for nearly three decades, loves Florida’s manatees.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
Here mermaids swim underwater, joined by manatees, turtles, and fish—and visitors can have a front-row seat to it all.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
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, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2025
Gulley’s experience with manatees led him to a new statewide photographic project that combined his scientific and visual background to show the impacts of stormwater visually.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
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Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
Here mermaids swim underwater, joined by manatees, turtles, and fish—and visitors can have a front-row seat to it all.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2025
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, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2025
Gulley’s experience with manatees led him to a new statewide photographic project that combined his scientific and visual background to show the impacts of stormwater visually.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manatee
Cite this Entry
“Manatee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manatee. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
manatee
noun
man·a·tee
ˈman-ə-ˌtē
: 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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