coral
1 Americannoun
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the hard, variously colored, calcareous skeleton secreted by certain marine polyps.
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such skeletons collectively, forming reefs, islands, etc.
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the solitary or colonial polyp that secretes this calcareous skeleton.
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a reddish yellow; light yellowish red; pinkish yellow.
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the unimpregnated roe or eggs of the lobster that when boiled take on the color of red coral.
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something made of coral, as an ornament, piece of jewelry, or a child's toy.
adjective
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made of coral.
a coral reef; coral ornamentation.
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making coral.
a coral polyp.
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resembling coral, especially in color; yellowish-red.
noun
noun
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any marine mostly colonial coelenterate of the class Anthozoa having a calcareous, horny, or soft skeleton See also stony coral sea fan
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the calcareous or horny material forming the skeleton of certain of these animals
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( as modifier ) See also red coral
a coral reef
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a rocklike aggregation of certain of these animals or their skeletons, forming an island or reef
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( as modifier )
a coral island
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an object made of coral, esp a piece of jewellery
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( as modifier )
a coral necklace
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a deep-pink to yellowish-pink colour
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( as adjective )
coral lipstick
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the roe of a lobster or crab, which becomes pink when cooked
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Any of numerous small, sedentary cnidarians (coelenterates) of the class Anthozoa. Corals often form massive colonies in shallow sea water and secrete a cup-shaped skeleton of calcium carbonate, which they can retreat into when in danger. Corals are related to the sea anemones and have stinging tentacles around the mouth opening that are used to catch prey.
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A hard, stony substance consisting of the skeletons of these animals. It is typically white, pink, or reddish and can form large reefs that support an abundance of ocean fish.
Other Word Forms
- corallike adjective
Etymology
Origin of coral
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English coral(l), from Latin corāll(i)um, from Greek korā́llion “red coral,” equivalent to korall- (from Semitic; compare Hebrew gōrāl “pebble”) + -ion diminutive suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A salmon so consistently coral, so perfectly sliced that it melts in your mouth, glistening with so much naturally rich Omega-3s that it’s like a fatty halo shining on the plate.
From Salon
Finish with fresh herbs and a quick yogurt sauce: lemon juice, chopped herbs and enough Old Bay to tint it faintly coral.
From Salon
Vibrant coral dots the foreground while a kaleidoscope of stars unfolds behind her.
Now, researchers report that a global marine heatwave caused widespread coral bleaching, damaging roughly half of the world's reefs.
From Science Daily
A study published on Tuesday showed that more than half of the world's coral reefs were bleached between 2014-2017 -- a record-setting episode now being eclipsed by another series of devastating heatwaves.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
