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
Nearly 2,000 manatees died in Florida in 2021 and 2022, a two-year record.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
As of Friday, 414 manatees deaths had been reported this year, including 85 in Brevard County, the most in any county.
—Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
Now, local environmentalists are trying to save the manatees from going extinct.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
The area is known for its wetlands — which are crucial to the state's irrigation and drinking water systems — and wildlife, with hundreds of species of birds as well as creatures like alligators, crocodiles, panthers and manatees.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 24 June 2025
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Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
As of Friday, 414 manatees deaths had been reported this year, including 85 in Brevard County, the most in any county.
—Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
Now, local environmentalists are trying to save the manatees from going extinct.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
The area is known for its wetlands — which are crucial to the state's irrigation and drinking water systems — and wildlife, with hundreds of species of birds as well as creatures like alligators, crocodiles, panthers and manatees.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 24 June 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 21 Jul. 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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