manatee
/ˈmæn.əˌtiː/ noun
Forms manatees
- noun A mostly herbivorous sirenian of the genus Trichechus, having a paddle-like tail and nails on their flippers, found in tropical regions.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish manatí, from a Cariban-language term meaning ‘breast’, ultimately from Proto-Cariban *manatɨ; compare Kari'na manaty, Trió manatï, Apalaí manaty, Akawaio manatï, Pemon manatü, Macushi manatî.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Any species of Trichechus, a genus of sirenians; --called alsosea cow. [Written also manaty, manati.]
Etymology [Sp. manatí, from the native name in Hayti. Cf. Lamantin.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “manatee”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details