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noun

Dugong n. (Written also duyong) (Zool.) An aquatic herbivorous mammal (Halicore dugong), of the order Sirenia, allied to the manatee, but with a bilobed tail. It inhabits the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, East Indies, and Australia.

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Etymology of 'Dugong'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Dugong" Quotes from Famous Books

... a swimming fish and put it into the water in the direction from which the fish generally appear. This ceremony, accompanied by a prayer to the fish to come, will cause them to arrive at once. The islanders of Torres Straits use models of dugong and turtles to charm dugong and turtle to their destruction. The Toradjas of Central Celebes believe that things of the same sort attract each other by means of their indwelling spirits or vital ether. Hence they hang ...

— The Golden Bough - A study of magic and religion • Sir James George Frazer

... breast is generally a mark in shape of a heart, very neatly executed. The large cicatrices which appear on the bodies of the tribes of Southern Australia are not used here; nor is a front tooth taken out at the age of puberty. The 'septum' of the nose is pierced, and the crescent-shaped tooth, of the dugong is worn in it on state occasions; large holes are also made in the ears, and a piece of wood as large as a bottle cork, and whitened with pipe clay, is inserted in them. A practise of cutting the hair off ...

— The Overland Expedition of The Messrs. Jardine • Frank Jardine and Alexander Jardine

Words linked to "Dugong" : sirenian mammal, sea cow