elkhorn coral

noun

elk·​horn coral ˈelk-ˌhȯrn- 

: a reef-building branching coral (Acropora palmata) of shallow waters of southern Florida and the West Indies

Examples of elkhorn coral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Reefs dominated by large, complex and rigid corals, such as thickets of elkhorn corals, create rough, elevated structures that can break and slow incoming waves, providing the greatest protection. — Steven Canty, The Conversation, 12 May 2026

Once home to thriving populations of the state's iconic staghorn and elkhorn corals, the ecosystem has been in steady decline for decades because of pollution, disease, invasive species, warming waters, and damage from boaters, divers and snorkelers. — Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026

Glass-bottom boats gliding along the surface reveal sea turtles, Goliath grouper, and elkhorn coral to travelers who don't want to get wet. — Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026

Stacey Williams, the scientific director of ISER Caribe, a nonprofit research and education organization focused on coral restoration, said extreme temperatures killed nearly all of the elkhorn coral in southern Puerto Rico. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for elkhorn coral

• intraoral
• aboral
• amoral
• auroral
• balmoral
• binaural
• clitoral
• immoral
• phosphoryl
• aural
• chloral
• choral