Definition of coral
1a : 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
3a : a bright reddish ovary (as of a lobster or scallop)b : a deep pink
coral
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Examples of coral in a Sentence
brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral
Recent Examples of coral from the Web
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The stunning island is known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, white sand beaches, and colorful coral reefs.
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Grevillea: Beautiful needlelike foliage is accented with stunning clusters of coral-red flowers which attract hummingbirds.
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The furniture is a mix of crisp white sofas and club chairs, a few old Swedish pieces, anonymous early American paintings, chunks of coral that could pass for Urs Fischer sculptures, and lots and lots of seashells.
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Earrings: Devon Leigh turquoise and coral double hoop earrings, $385, Neiman Marcus Fort Worth.
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If the waters cool soon enough, algae return; if bleaching persists, the corals die.
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Bleaching occurs when overly warm water leads corals to expel symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae.
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But less than 10 percent of the reef system is now covered with living coral.
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Take your in-your-face magenta and swap it for a peachy keen coral.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of coral
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin corallium, from Greek korallion
Other Invertebrates (Except Insects) Terms
CORAL Defined for English Language Learners
coral
playDefinition of coral for English Language Learners
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: a hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of small creatures
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: an orange pink color
CORAL Defined for Kids
Definition of coral for Students
1 : a tiny soft-bodied animal that typically lives within a stony skeleton grouped in large colonies and that is related to the jellyfish
2 : a piece of stony material consisting of the skeletons of corals
3 : a colony of corals coral reef
4 : a dark pink
Definition of coral for Students
1 : made of coral a coral reef
2 : of a dark pink color
Learn More about coral
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See words that rhyme with coral Spanish Central: Translation of coral Nglish: Translation of coral for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coral
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