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
Guides add commentary on the local marine life, and there’s a possibility of seeing manatees and sea turtles as well.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, which was downlisted from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2017, sparking widespread outcry.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
Mendoza agreed with the advocacy group’s argument that the state wasn’t doing nearly enough to protect manatees from pollution.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Nearly 2,000 manatees died in Florida in 2021 and 2022, a two-year record.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
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Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, which was downlisted from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2017, sparking widespread outcry.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025
Mendoza agreed with the advocacy group’s argument that the state wasn’t doing nearly enough to protect manatees from pollution.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Nearly 2,000 manatees died in Florida in 2021 and 2022, a two-year record.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 27 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 2 Aug. 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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