sea cow

noun

1. any sirenian, as the manatee or dugong.
2. Obsolete. the hippopotamus.

sea cow

noun

1. any sirenian mammal, such as a dugong or manatee
2. an archaic name for walrus

Word History and Origins

Origin of sea cow¹

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Manatees are large aquatic mammals commonly known as sea cows.

From BBC

Earlier this month, Hurricane Idalia similarly stranded a group of manatees inland in Florida, a repeat of what happened after Hurricane Hermine trapped sea cows on flooded golf course ponds in 2016.

From Salon

Then we ran the model again, but this time with the four-ton sea creature—the Steller’s sea cow—added in.

From Scientific American

Dugongs, the chubby marine mammals also known as a sea cows, are listed globally as "vulnerable" even as their plummeting populations in East Africa and New Caledonia were updated to "endangered" in December.

From Reuters

A "sea cow" that evoked tales of mermaids is being driven to the edge of extinction, conservation experts warn.

From BBC