manta

4 definitions found

manta - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Manta \Man"ta\, n. [From the native name.] (Zool.)
     The manta ray. See also Cephaloptera and Sea devil.
     [1913 Webster]

  manta ray \manta ray\ n.
     An extremely large pelagic tropical ray of the family
     Mobulidae, that feeds on plankton and small fishes. It is
     usually harmless but its size (up to 20 feet across and up to
     a ton in weight) make it dangerous if harpooned. Called also
     manta, sea devil and devilfish. See also Cephaloptera
     and Sea devil.
     [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]

  Cephaloptera \Ceph`a*lop"te*ra\
     (s[e^]f`[.a]*l[o^]p"t[-e]*r[.a]), n. [NL., fr. Gr. kefalh`
     head + ptero`n wing.] (Zool.)
     One of the generic names of the gigantic ray (Manta birostris
     ) of the family Mobulidae, known as devilfish,
     sea devil, manta and manta ray. It is common on the
     coasts of South Carolina, Florida, and farther south, and is
     sometimes found as far north as New York Bay. Some of them
     grow to enormous size, becoming twenty feet of more across
     the body, and weighing more than a ton.
     [1913 Webster]

manta - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  manta
      n 1: a blanket that is used as a cloak or shawl
      2: extremely large pelagic tropical ray that feeds on plankton
         and small fishes; usually harmless but its size make it
         dangerous if harpooned [syn: manta, manta ray,
         devilfish]