manta

man·ta  (mnt)

n.

1. A rough-textured cotton fabric or blanket made and used in Spanish America and the southwest United States.

2. Any of several rays of the family Mobulidae, inhabiting tropical and subtropical seas and having a large flattened body, winglike pectoral fins, a whiplike tail, and two hornlike fins that project forward from the head. Also called devilfish, manta ray, sea devil.

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[Spanish, blanket, manta (from its blanketlike shape), alteration of manto, cloak, perhaps from Latin mantellum, mantlum.]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	manta - a blanket that is used as a cloak or shawl blanket, cover - bedding that keeps a person warm in bed; "he pulled the covers over his head and went to sleep"
	2.	manta - extremely large pelagic tropical ray that feeds on plankton and small fishes; usually harmless but its size make it dangerous if harpooned manta ray, devilfish ray - cartilaginous fishes having horizontally flattened bodies and enlarged winglike pectoral fins with gills on the underside; most swim by moving the pectoral fins family Mobulidae, Mobulidae - large rays lacking venomous spines: mantas Atlantic manta, Manta birostris - largest manta (to 22 feet across wings); found worldwide but common in Gulf of Mexico and along southern coasts of United States; primarily oceanic devil ray, Mobula hypostoma - small manta (to 4 feet) that travels in schools