sirenian mammal
- noun
- /sɪˈrɪniən ˈmæməl/
- Specialized
:
mamífero sirénido
- Manatees are a type of sirenian mammal that feed on seagrass.
Examples
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Conservationists are concerned about the declining numbers of sirenian mammals due to habitat loss and boat collisions.
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The Amazonian manatee is a rare sirenian mammal found only in the Amazon River basin.
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Both manatees and dugongs are types of sirenian mammal known for their gentle nature.
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The sirenian mammal is often found in warm coastal waters.
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Both manatees and dugongs are types of sirenian mammal known for their gentle nature.
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Conservationists are concerned about the declining numbers of sirenian mammals due to habitat loss and boat collisions.
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The Amazonian manatee is a rare sirenian mammal found only in the Amazon River basin.
Synonyms
1
4.8
A large sea animal like a manatee that eats plants and moves slowly
A large plant-eating sea mammal like a manatee or dugong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjectival noun combination: 'sirenian' specifies the type of 'mammal', so its meaning is simply a mammal belonging to the Sirenia group (e.g., manatees, dugongs). This follows normal English composition and is fully derivable if a learner already knows the meanings of both constituents (even though 'sirenian' is a relatively rare lexical item).
Etymology
Sirenian mammal comes from the word sirenian, which comes from 'sirens', the sea women in old stories who sailors said sang to them. Early sailors sometimes thought manatees and dugongs looked like these sea women, so the name came to mean the group of gentle, water-living mammals we call manatees and dugongs today.