coral

play

noun cor·al \ ˈkȯr-əl , ˈkär- \

Definition of coral

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

—

coralloid

play \ˈkȯr-ə-ˌlȯid, ˈkär-\ adjective

See coral defined for English-language learners

See coral defined for kids

Examples of coral in a Sentence

brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral

Recent Examples of coral from the Web

Since 2009, her team had been traveling to the coral reefs of the Florida Keys.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "A Grand Unified Theory of Unhealthy Microbiomes," 25 Aug. 2017
The report details how even small increases in temperature can lead to drastically longer heat waves, more intense storms, and the more rapid collapse of coral reefs, which are a lifeblood of our oceans—

— jack holmes, Esquire, "President Trump Should Be Afraid of This Climate Change Report," 8 Aug. 2017
As a result of the trip, Phares can identify different types of sharks, such as Caribbean, black tip and reef sharks, as well as other varieties of fish and coral.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Scouts dive into undersea adventure," 8 Aug. 2017
The look features bright coral eyeshadow covering the eyelid, a fuchsia shade in the crease, and a swipe of fluorescent yellow eyeliner on the outside half of the eye and right under the brow.

— andrea park, Teen Vogue, "Makeup Artist Accuses Real Techniques of Copying a Look She Created Without Permission," 20 July 2017
The stunning island is known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, white sand beaches, and colorful coral reefs.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Explore these 10 incredible honeymoon destinations," 19 July 2017
Grevillea: Beautiful needlelike foliage is accented with stunning clusters of coral-red flowers which attract hummingbirds.

— karen dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Spruce up garden with these heat seekers," 14 July 2017
What do humans and corals (and numerous other marine creatures) have in common?

— Longreads, "The Top 5 Longreads of the Week," 13 July 2017
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.

— vanityfair.com, "A Visit to Fisherman’s Cove, Designer Daniel Romualdez’s Montauk Escape," 10 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Invertebrates (Except Insects) Terms

anemone, cephalopod, quahog

CORAL Defined for English Language Learners

coral

play

noun

Definition of coral for English Language Learners

: a hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of small creatures
: an orange pink color

CORAL Defined for Kids

coral

play

noun cor·al \ ˈkȯr-əl \

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

coral

adjective

Definition of coral for Students

1 :made of coral

a coral reef

2 :of a dark pink color

Learn More about coral

See words that rhyme with coral Spanish Central: Translation of coral Nglish: Translation of coral for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coral

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up coral? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

coral

Definition of coral

coral

coralloid

Read the Latest from M-W

Examples of coral in a Sentence

Recent Examples of coral from the Web

Origin and Etymology of coral

Other Invertebrates (Except Insects) Terms

Phrases Related to CORAL

Related Phrases

CORAL Defined for English Language Learners

coral

Definition of coral for English Language Learners

CORAL Defined for Kids

coral

Definition of coral for Students

coral

Definition of coral for Students

Learn More about coral

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066