noun
manatee
MAN-uh-tee
noun
1
A large, slow-moving plant-eating aquatic mammal (genus Trichechus) with a paddle-shaped tail, found in warm coastal waters and rivers.
"Manatees graze peacefully on seagrass in Florida's warm springs."
"Boat strikes are one of the biggest threats to manatees."
How to Use Manatee
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA gentle, plant-eating sea mammal sometimes nicknamed the "sea cow."
Common pairings
manatee sanctuary
manatee zone
a manatee calf
Word Forms
manatees plural, manatee plural
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_____ graze peacefully on seagrass in Florida's warm springs.
Etymology
Borrowed via Spanish manatí from a Caribbean indigenous language, where the root word meant "breast."