noun
manta
MAN-tuh/ˈmæntə/
A large ray with broad, winglike fins.
The manta glides through the water on broad, winglike fins.
Etymology
Spanish manta means “blanket.” The ray was named for being broad and long like a quilt, an image of its wide, flattened body.
In context
Even the mighty manta rays with a wingspan [music] of up to 7 m pose majestically for the divers's cameras.
More examples
- The manta’s broad fins moved like wings.
- Divers watched several mantas from a distance.
- The manta passed overhead in the clear water.
Forms
manta · mantas
Similar words
- stingray
- Stingrays include rays with defensive stingers; mantas are large rays without that tail stinger.
- skate
- A skate is a different kind of ray, usually with different body and reproductive features.