coral

noun cor·al \ ˈkȯr-əl , ˈkär- \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

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

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coral

adjective

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coralloid

play \ˈkȯr-ə-ˌlȯid, ˈkär-\ adjective

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Examples of coral in a Sentence

brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral

Recent Examples of coral from the Web

And warmer tones like apricot, orange and coral are especially enchanting on brown skin.

— The Cut, "Testing Glossier’s New Cloud Paint Shades for Darker Skin," 19 June 2018
Doubilet recently answered questions about his work while in French Polynesia, just before a mission to photograph sharks and coral at the Fakarava Atoll.

— National Geographic, "32 Astonishing Photos From a Career Spent Underwater," 13 June 2018
Leaves are big and bold, emerging with brilliant yellow, orange, copper and coral tones.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "This is the superhero of your garden. But, it's not what you'd expect," 20 Apr. 2018
Plankton and bacteria burned through most of the ocean's oxygen, leaving little for fish and the corals that left giant reefs behind.

— ned rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "Did plants cause one of Earth’s great extinctions?," 3 Mar. 2018
From the tourism that generates 37% of all jobs on this idyllic chain of coral islands to the quality of the tuna eaten there for three meals a day, their future hinges on clean seas.

— jenni marsh, CNN, "Our children's plastic lives seen through lunches," 7 June 2018
When that oil rig exploded in April 2010, nearly 3.2 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf, harming animals, marine life and coral.

— alex stuckey, San Antonio Express-News, "Texas State Aquarium doubles down on wildlife rescue, rehabilitation after Harvey," 3 June 2018
Its corals have been decimated by the suffocating clouds of sand and sediment churned up by speedboats.

— NBC News, "Ailing Thai beach made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio film gets tourist timeout," 31 May 2018
Head to Head is a bright coral pink and, according to the winemakers, features intense, complex red fruit aromas dominated by apple and cherry notes.

— refinery29.com, "Olive Garden Launched Its Own Rosé To Go With Those Unlimited Breadsticks," 27 May 2018

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.