Meanings
nounmanatee (plural manatees or manatee)
plural manatees
- A mostly herbivorous sirenian of the genus Trichechus, having a paddle-like tail and nails on their flippers, found in tropical regions.
The ecological importance of the manatee is clear; scientists have demonstrated the dependancy^([sic]) of all components of an ecosystem on one another […]
1988 September 28, Tampa Bay Magazine, numbers Sept–Oct, page 60Synonyms: lamantin
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA mostly herbivorous sirenian of the genus Trichechus, having a paddle-like tail and nails on their flippers, found in tropical regions.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounsirenian mammal of tropical coastal waters of America; the flat tail is rounded
Similar
Trichechus manatus
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Cariban*manatɨ
- Spanishmanatí
- Englishmanatee
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.
More words from Spanish, Cariban, Proto-Cariban
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans lamantyn, manatee
- lamantynany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manateeany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Arabic خَرُوف البَحْر
- خَرُوف البَحْر (ḵarūf al-baḥr)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Basque manati
- manatiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Bulgarian морска крава
- морска крава (morska krava)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Catalan manatí
- manatíany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Chinese Cantonese 海牛
- 海牛 (hoi² ngau⁴)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Chinese Mandarin 海牛
- 海牛 (hǎiniú)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Czech kapustňák
- kapustňákany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Danish søko, manat
- søkoany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Dutch zeekoe, lamantijn
- zeekoeany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- lamantijnany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Esperanto manato
- manatoany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Estonian lamantiin
- lamantiinany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Finnish manaatti
- manaattiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
French lamantin
- lamantinany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
German Rundschwanzseekuh, Manati
- Rundschwanzseekuhany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- Manatiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Greek μανάτος
- μανάτος (manátos)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Hawaiian lākamikini
- lākamikiniany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Hebrew תַּחַשׁ נְהָרוֹת
- תַּחַשׁ נְהָרוֹת (tákhash neharót)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Hindi मैनाटी
- मैनाटी (maināṭī)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Hungarian lamantin, manátusz
- lamantinany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manátuszany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- tengeritehénany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Icelandic sækýr
- sækýrany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Indonesian lembu laut
- lembu lautany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Irish bó mhara
- bó mharaany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Italian lamantino, manato
- lamantinoany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatoany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Japanese マナティー
- マナティー (manatī)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Korean 매너티
- 매너티 (maeneoti)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Latin manatus, bōs marīna
- manatusany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- bōs marīnaany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- trichechusany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Latvian lamantīns, manati
- lamantīnsany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Lithuanian lamantinas
- lamantinasany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Malay manati, lembu laut
- manatiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- lembu lautany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Norwegian Bokmål manat
- manatany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Polish manat
- manatany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Portuguese peixe-boi, manati
- peixe-boiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatimany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Romanian lamantin
- lamantinany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Russian ламанти́н, морска́я коро́ва
- ламанти́н (lamantín)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- морска́я коро́ва (morskája koróva)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Slovak lamantín
- lamantínany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Spanish manatí, pez mujer
- manatíany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- pez mujerany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatoany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Swahili manatii
- manatiiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Swedish sjöko, manat
- sjökoany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Tagalog manati
- manatiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Tamil கடற்பசு
- கடற்பசு (kaṭaṟpacu)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Thai แมนนาที
- แมนนาที (mɛɛn-naa-tîi)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Turkish denizayısı, manati
- denizayısıany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatiany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Ukrainian ламантин
- ламантин (lamantyn)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Vietnamese lợn biển
- lợn biểnany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Welsh morfuwch, manatî
- morfuwchany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
- manatîany of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Yiddish ים־קו
- ים־קו (yam-ku)any of several plant-eating marine mammals, of family Trichechidae
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
manatee. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manatee
MLA
“manatee.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manatee. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “manatee,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manatee.
Source: manatee on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.