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• coral
  coral

  noun

  the hard, variously colored, calcareous skeleton secreted by certain marine polyps.
• Coral
  Coral

  noun

  a female given name.

coral

¹ American  

[kawr-uhl, kor-] / ˈkɔr əl, ˈkɒr- /

noun

• corals
  plural

1. the hard, variously colored, calcareous skeleton secreted by certain marine polyps.

2. such skeletons collectively, forming reefs, islands, etc.

3. the solitary or colonial polyp that secretes this calcareous skeleton.

4. a reddish yellow; light yellowish red; pinkish yellow.

5. the unimpregnated roe or eggs of the lobster that when boiled take on the color of red coral.

6. something made of coral, as an ornament, piece of jewelry, or a child's toy.

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adjective

1. made of coral.

   a coral reef; coral ornamentation.

2. making coral.

   a coral polyp.

3. resembling coral, especially in color; yellowish-red.

Coral ² American  

[kawr-uhl, kor-] / ˈkɔr əl, ˈkɒr- /

noun

1. a female given name.

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coral British  

/ ˈkɒrəl /

noun

1. any marine mostly colonial coelenterate of the class Anthozoa having a calcareous, horny, or soft skeleton See also stony coral sea fan

2. 1. the calcareous or horny material forming the skeleton of certain of these animals

   2. ( as modifier ) See also red coral

      a coral reef

3. 1. a rocklike aggregation of certain of these animals or their skeletons, forming an island or reef

   2. ( as modifier )

      a coral island

4. 1. an object made of coral, esp a piece of jewellery

   2. ( as modifier )

      a coral necklace

5. 1. a deep-pink to yellowish-pink colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      coral lipstick

6. the roe of a lobster or crab, which becomes pink when cooked

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coral Scientific  

/ kôr′əl /

1. Any of numerous small, sedentary cnidarians (coelenterates) of the class Anthozoa. Corals often form massive colonies in shallow sea water and secrete a cup-shaped skeleton of calcium carbonate, which they can retreat into when in danger. Corals are related to the sea anemones and have stinging tentacles around the mouth opening that are used to catch prey.

2. A hard, stony substance consisting of the skeletons of these animals. It is typically white, pink, or reddish and can form large reefs that support an abundance of ocean fish.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• corallike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• corals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of coral

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English coral(l), from Latin corāll(i)um, from Greek korā́llion “red coral,” equivalent to korall- (from Semitic; compare Hebrew gōrāl “pebble”) + -ion diminutive suffix

Explanation

Coral is a marine polyp with a calcareous skeleton that lives in colonies. You probably last saw coral while scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. That or while looking at the coral necklaces in the beach shop. Though coral looks like stone with little holes, it is actually a kind of sea polyp with a stony, hole filled skeleton. Sometimes the word coral refers to the skeleton itself. Because of the red color of Mediterranean coral, coral is also an adjective meaning pink-red. Shakespeare wrote: “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more “red than her lips' red.” Coral can also be a noun for unfertilized lobster eggs that turn red when cooking.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coral Coral corals

Environmental experts say the spill threatens wildlife, protected ecosystems and fishing communities around Qeshm, which is home to mangrove forests, nearby coral reef habitats and nesting sites for critically endangered Hawksbill turtles.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Scientists have already connected them with widespread coral bleaching, large-scale deaths of marine organisms, harmful algal blooms and major disruptions to fisheries and aquaculture.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Beneath the water, divers tracked current density and coral growths, searching for mother-of-pearl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Researchers also found DNA from cultivated plants, domesticated animals and Mediterranean red coral.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

The librarian looked like a tossed handful of jewels: bright coral scarf, gold silk blouse, sapphire blue skirt.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

Orlando was followed by three other Florida metros: North Port, Miami and Cape Coral.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

The football is on display at the Coral Gables Museum in Florida until Saturday.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

Looking ahead, Dr. Reddy and Professor Thomas will take part in the upcoming Tara Coral expedition in Papua New Guinea this June.

From Science Daily ● May 8, 2026

Cape Coral, Fla., and Memphis, Tenn., saw the second- and third-greatest per-square-foot declines, respectively falling 6.9% and 6.3% from one year prior.

From Barron's ● Apr. 25, 2026

The ship moved slowly between the black rocks and into Coral Cove.

From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell

Kinjo says that reefs flanking his seaside farm consist entirely of corals he cultivated, with their natural peers "no longer able to keep up with a tremendous increase in stress" in the anthropogenically polluted ocean.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Because they are close relatives of corals and jellyfish, sea anemones provide scientists with a valuable glimpse into the early evolution of animal immunity.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026

"Pinpointing where large corals occur means we can better protect them by letting people know where not to anchor their boats or drop pots," Professor Bell said.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

Similar to Portuguese man o' war, by-the-wind sailors are colonies of animals related to sea anemones and corals, and they possess stinging cells.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

It was full of the glitter and twinkle of jewelry, corals and metals and precious stones.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

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• crimson
• flaming
• glowing
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