1
a
: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps
especially
: a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium)
b
: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton
2
: a piece of coral and especially of red coral
3
a
: a bright reddish ovary (as of a lobster or scallop)
b
: a deep pink
coral
adjective
Examples of coral in a Sentence
brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral
Recent Examples on the Web
The dive site has spectacular coral formations and plenty of its namesake Christmas tree worms—ocean worms that resemble colorful little Christmas trees on the coral.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping exhibit is Simone Crestani’s brilliant display of lights magnified by approximately 15,000 handblown glass orbs in the shape of sea creatures such as coral, sea urchins, and barnacles.
—Siobhan Morrissey, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
The devices themselves are small ceramic objects that house tiles on which juvenile corals settle.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
These algae normally help baby corals settle and grow, so their loss compounds the decline.
—New Atlas, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coral
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping exhibit is Simone Crestani’s brilliant display of lights magnified by approximately 15,000 handblown glass orbs in the shape of sea creatures such as coral, sea urchins, and barnacles.
—Siobhan Morrissey, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
The devices themselves are small ceramic objects that house tiles on which juvenile corals settle.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
These algae normally help baby corals settle and grow, so their loss compounds the decline.
—New Atlas, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coral
Cite this Entry
“Coral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coral. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coral
noun
cor·al
ˈkȯr-əl 
ˈkär-
1
a
: the stony or horny deposit that is composed of the skeletons of various polyps
especially
: a richly red coral used in jewelry
b
: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton
2
: a deep pink
coral
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share