Definitions

1. noun

a large, slow-moving aquatic mammal of the family Trichechidae, found in shallow waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and in South America, related to the elephant but with a more primitive body

“The manatee swam slowly through the shallow waters of the coastal area.”

2. verb

to swim or move slowly and clumsily

“The exhausted swimmer manateed through the water, struggling to reach the shore.”