manateePronunciation: /ˌmanəˈtiː, ˈmanətiː/Definition of manatee noun a sea cow of tropical Atlantic coasts and estuaries, with a rounded tail flipper. Family Trichechidae and genus Trichechus: three species Origin: mid 16th century: from Spanish manati, from Carib manátimanatee in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of manatee in the US English dictionary