Meaning
The manatee — the large, gentle, slow-moving plant-eating sea mammal that lives in Jamaica's coastal waters, river mouths, and the Black River. Called the 'sea cow' for its bulk and its grazing on water plants, it is a rare and protected creature, seldom seen, and something of a wonder to those who glimpse one. In older lore its half-human look fed into tales of mermaids and river spirits.
Examples
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Dem spot a sea cow inna di river mouth.
They spotted a manatee in the river mouth.
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Di sea cow big an gentle.
The manatee is big and gentle.
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Yuh hardly ever see a sea cow now.
You hardly ever see a manatee now.
Origin
From 'sea' + 'cow' (its grazing bulk); the manatee. See [[crocodile]], [[river-mumma]].
How it’s used
The manatee, a rare gentle coastal sea mammal. See [[crocodile]], [[river-mumma]].