coral

noun

cor·al | \ ˈkȯr-əl

, ˈkär-\

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

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Examples of coral in a Sentence

brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral

Recent Examples on the Web

There are spiky rose gold necklaces with a subtle swing and a spectacular coral-bead ring that everyone loves and turns out to be pricier than the diamond version, who knew? — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "Cartier Celebrates Its Latest Collection With a Lavish Parisian Fete," 19 Apr. 2019 The dive took place off a coral atoll called St. Joseph in the outer islands of Seychelles on a mission to explore the Indian Ocean. — David Keyton, The Seattle Times, "Off the Seychelles, a dive into a never-seen landscape," 13 Apr. 2019 Aweng Chuol reminded us that at 5:00 a.m., a high, swaying, side pony, pomegranate glossed lips, and coral-orange, angular eye, is the perfect way to start the day…or end it. — Vogue, "The Best Beauty Instagrams of the Week: Imaan Hammam, Lameka Fox, and More," 31 Mar. 2019 Three times, in 2006, 2007, and 2008, SpaceX tried to launch a Falcon 1 rocket from Omelek Island in the Pacific Ocean, a coral shelf perhaps a meter above sea level and the size of three soccer fields. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "Inside the eight desperate weeks that saved SpaceX from ruin," 21 Sep. 2018 There’s a wonderful kind of pink, peach coral lip color that Astrid wears at the end of the movie, in the engagement party scene. — Jessica Chia, Allure, "Crazy Rich Asians' Gemma Chan On Her Very British Beauty Routine," 20 Sep. 2018 Warmer waters also mean that coral-eating sea stars survive longer, lay more eggs, and cause more damage. — National Geographic, "These 38 Coral Reefs Are Thriving, Despite Threats," 18 June 2018 Some of the topics the summit will address, according to its coral-pink flyer? — refinery29.com, "A Republican Congressman Wants To Teach Women About Gardening & Weight Loss," 1 June 2018 There was no coral, no fish - just pieces of lava rock, submerged in glacial runoff, forming incredible underwater creations. — Susan Glaser, cleveland.com, "Iceland Travel Blog: Snorkeling in glacial water between two continents (photos)," 9 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.