manta
noun
man·ta ˈman-tə 
1
: a square piece of cloth or blanket used in southwestern U.S. and Latin America usually as a cloak or shawl
2
[American Spanish, from Spanish; from its shape] : manta ray
Synonyms
- devilfish
- manta ray
- sea devil
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a manta glided along the sea bottom
Recent Examples on the Web Very large manta rays were heading right for our floatie. 
Demetria Gallegos, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 Pate's group has identified 125 individual manta rays across a study area that runs from Stuart to Fort Lauderdale. Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2022 Over the years, the sea passages between the islands have seen wave and tidal machines that bring to mind steel manta rays and undulating sea snakes. Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2021 After the successful impromptu rescue, the divers registered the oceanic manta in a database for the vulnerable species, naming the female animal Spi-Phyll. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 30 Sep. 2021 There is also genetic evidence, to be published in a forthcoming paper, that the Florida manta rays belong to a third, new species of manta ray, Pate adds. Bethany Augliere, National Geographic, 3 Sep. 2020 While the smaller reef manta has an impressive wingspan of about 11 feet wide on average, the giant oceanic manta ray—the largest species of ray—can have a wingspan of up to 29 feet. National Geographic, 26 Aug. 2019 Stevens first encountered the Maldivian reef mantas when he was hired as a marine biologist and dive guide on the Four Seasons Explorer, the brand’s Maldivian luxury liveaboard yacht, in 2003. Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 8 June 2019 Even so, Stevens thinks the manta’s atypical color shouldn’t impact its survival or vulnerability to predation. National Geographic, 11 Feb. 2020 See More
Demetria Gallegos, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 Pate's group has identified 125 individual manta rays across a study area that runs from Stuart to Fort Lauderdale. Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2022 Over the years, the sea passages between the islands have seen wave and tidal machines that bring to mind steel manta rays and undulating sea snakes. Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2021 After the successful impromptu rescue, the divers registered the oceanic manta in a database for the vulnerable species, naming the female animal Spi-Phyll. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 30 Sep. 2021 There is also genetic evidence, to be published in a forthcoming paper, that the Florida manta rays belong to a third, new species of manta ray, Pate adds. Bethany Augliere, National Geographic, 3 Sep. 2020 While the smaller reef manta has an impressive wingspan of about 11 feet wide on average, the giant oceanic manta ray—the largest species of ray—can have a wingspan of up to 29 feet. National Geographic, 26 Aug. 2019 Stevens first encountered the Maldivian reef mantas when he was hired as a marine biologist and dive guide on the Four Seasons Explorer, the brand’s Maldivian luxury liveaboard yacht, in 2003. Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 8 June 2019 Even so, Stevens thinks the manta’s atypical color shouldn’t impact its survival or vulnerability to predation. National Geographic, 11 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Spanish, alteration of manto cloak, from Late Latin mantus, probably back-formation from Latin mantellum mantle
First Known Use
1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing manta
mantas
noun
as in rays
any of several extremely large rays a manta glided along the sea bottom Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- rays
- skates
- manta rays
- devilfishes
- sea devils