sirenian

[ sahy-ree-nee-uhn ]

noun

1. an aquatic, herbivorous mammal of the order Sirenia, including the manatee and dugong.

sirenian

/ saɪˈriːnɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Sirenia, an order of aquatic herbivorous placental mammals having forelimbs modified as paddles, no hind limbs, and a horizontally flattened tail: contains only the dugong and manatees

noun

1. any animal belonging to the order Sirenia; a sea cow

Word History and Origins

Origin of sirenian¹

1880–85; < New Latin Sireni ( a ) ( siren, -ia ) + -an

Example Sentences

The researchers suspect Perucetus lived like sirenians - not an active predator but an animal that fed near the bottom of shallow coastal waters.

From Reuters

Over the centuries, sirenians have inspired tales of mermaids and other mystical creatures.

From New York Times

Like manatees, dugongs are a member of the sirenia order of sea mammals, and sirenians' closest living relatives are elephants.

From The Verge

Theirs should be sirenian moons and dawns, and life would be this dream's perfect fulfilment.

From Project Gutenberg

This characteristic, called pachyosteosclerosis, is absent in living cetaceans - the group including whales, dolphins and porpoises - but present in sirenians, another marine mammal group including manatees and dugongs.

From Reuters