steller's sea cow

4 definitions found

steller's sea cow - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Rytina \Ryt"i*na\ (r[i^]t"[i^]*n[.a]), n. [NL., fr. Gr. "ryti`s
     a wrinkle.] (Zool.)
     A genus of large edentulous sirenians, allied to the dugong
     and manatee, including but one species (Rytina Stelleri);
     -- called also Steller's sea cow, stellerine and
     steller. [Written also Rhytina.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: It is now extinct, but was formerly abundant at
           Bering's Island, near Bering's Straits. It was
           twenty-five feet or more in length, with a thick,
           blackish, naked skin. The last were killed in 1768 for
           their oil and flesh.
           [1913 Webster]
           [1913 Webster]

  steller \stel"ler\, n. [After Geo. W. Steller, a German
     naturalist.] (Zool.)
     The rytina; -- called also stellerine and Steller's sea cow
     . See rytina.
     [1913 Webster]

  Steller's sea cow \Stel"ler's sea" cow`\, prop. n. [After Geo.
     W. Steller, a German naturalist.] (Zool.)
     The rytina; -- called also stellerine and steller. See
     rytina.
     [1913 Webster]

steller's sea cow - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Steller's sea cow
      n 1: extinct large sirenian mammal formerly found near the
           Asiatic coast of the Bering Sea [syn: Steller's sea cow,
           Hydrodamalis gigas]