manatee

noun

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.

1. 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 […]”