manta ray
2
4.8
- noun
- /ˈmæntə reɪ/
:
mantarraya
- During the dive, we were thrilled to encounter a large manta ray feeding on plankton near the surface.
- giant manta ray
- manta rays swim
- the manta ray creature
Examples
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We went and did a sunset manta ray night snorkel.
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Regular visitors also include snappers, sailfish, marlin, manta rays, reef sharks, and an occasional whale shark.
Academic text (1995) -
Did you know -that the largest fish in the world is the manta ray?
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"I saw a manta ray near the point this morning," the colonel said.
Fiction book (2002) -
The manta ray was nowhere to be seen.
Fiction book (1998) -
Three manta rays swim above us.
Fiction book (2000) -
Scientists have found the largest known population of oceanic manta ray thriving off the coast of Ecuador.
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I have also read reviews by divers who did a nighttime trip with manta rays; if you dive, you might be interested.
Blog text (10) -
Dooley recounts the journey of a guest aboard a similar research vessel in the Socorro Islands, just off Mexico, who helped scientists tag giant manta rays in an effort to track their migration patterns.
Blog text (1) -
Flick on your high-powered flashlight and watch as massive, floppy, docile manta rays appear around you, sucking up phytoplankton.
Blog text (3)
Synonyms
5
7.2
A very large flat sea animal with wide triangular fins that swims and eats tiny sea animals
A very large manta ray that lives in warm oceans
A very large sea animal with a flat body and wide fins that lives in warm Atlantic waters
A large sea animal with wide fins like a manta that swims near the surface and eats plankton
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'manta ray' is compositionally a type of ray specified by 'manta' (a giant triangular‑finned ray), so its meaning — a very large tropical sea ray — is directly derivable from the constituents. The noun+noun species-naming pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the term.
Etymology
Manta ray may come from the Spanish word manta meaning 'blanket' or 'cloak'. Its very wide, flat fins and slow, gliding movement make it look like a blanket moving through the water, so the name fits the animal's shape and is why we call it that today.