coral

noun

cor·​al ˈkȯr-əl 

ˈkär-

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

ˈkȯr-ə-ˌlȯid 

ˈkär-

adjective

Examples of coral in a Sentence

brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral

Recent Examples on the Web

Trunk Bay's Underwater Snorkel Trail is a 650-foot-long sea trail complete with underwater plaques identifying the corals, plants, fish, and turtles that inhabit these crystalline waters for the most informative swim of your life. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026

Close-up Photographer of the Year announces 2025 winner A trippy image of a coral, a huge swarm of mayflies and a ravenous spider were among the winners of the Close-up Photographer of the Year award. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026

This super cute manicure features red, coral, and pink wavy stripes going down the middle of each nail like a winding road, while little white hearts and dots dance down the line. —Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026

The sculptures are made to support fish, marine life and corals, and the plan is to plant thousands of corals here over the next decade. —Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin corallium, from Greek korallion

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing coral

• brain coral
• coral bells
• coral reef
• coral snake
• elkhorn coral
• fire coral
• red coral
• staghorn coral

Rhymes for coral

• aural
• chloral
• choral
• floral
• forel
• lauryl
• loral
• moral
• quarrel
• sorel
• sorrel
• toral

Kids Definition

coral

noun

cor·​al ˈkȯr-əl 

ˈkär-

1

a

: the stony or horny deposit that is composed of the skeletons of various polyps

especially : a richly red coral used in jewelry

b

: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton

2

: a deep pink

coral adjective