dugong
noun
du·gong
| \ ˈdü-ˌgäŋ
, -ˌgȯŋ\
, -ˌgȯŋ\
plural dugongs
also dugong
Definition of dugong
: an aquatic, herbivorous, usually brownish-gray mammal (Dugong dugon) that inhabits warm coastal waters chiefly of southern Asia, Australia, and eastern Africa and resembles the related manatee but differs in having a notched tail divided into two lobes and upper incisors which grow into small tusks in the male
Note: The dugong commonly attains a length of 8 feet (2.4 meters) or more. It is the sole living species in its taxonomic family (Dugongidae) which also includes the extinct Steller's sea cow and various sirenians known only from fossilized remains.
Illustration of dugong
Examples of dugong in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite experts’ best efforts, the young dugong died early Saturday morning. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "A Beloved Baby Dugong Has Died After Ingesting Plastic," 19 Aug. 2019 Eventually, word of Marium, the dugong, got out, and photos of her went viral in Thailand. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "A boy's uplifting challenge, some heroic first responders and a ducky derby," 10 Aug. 2019 Nantarika said dugongs typically stop feeding on milk at around 18 months and usually spend around eight years under their mothers' care. — Fox News, "Thai vets nurture lost baby dugong with milk and sea grass," 15 June 2019 The dugong is a species of marine mammal similar to the American manatee and can grow to about 3.4 meters (11 feet) in length. — Fox News, "Thai vets nurture lost baby dugong with milk and sea grass," 15 June 2019 Lucky travelers might even catch a glimpse of the resident dugongs or sea turtles. — Eric Rosen, National Geographic, "What sunscreens are best for you—and the planet?," 21 May 2019 All of this has created a region where wildlife thrives, including sharks and rays, crocodiles, dugongs, and in-shore dolphin populations. — Anne Casselman, National Geographic, "Searching for the world's last remaining sawfish," 18 Apr. 2019 Snorkel in the hopes of seeing a rare dugong, India’s version of a manatee, but stay content with the rays and turtles that are more likely. — Ella Riley-adams, Vogue, "Why India’s Andaman Islands Could Be the New Maldives," 4 Jan. 2019 Keep an eye out for dugong, a docile—but easily started—sea cow that delirious sailors of yore took for mermaids. — WSJ, "The Best Beach Towns You’ve Never Heard Of," 20 Oct. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dugong.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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