coquina

American  

[koh-kee-nuh] / koʊˈki nə /

noun

1. Also called pompano, butterfly-shell clam.  a small clam, Donax variabilis, abundant in the intertidal zone of eastern and southern U.S. coastal beaches, having fanlike bands of various hues, the paired empty shells often spread in a butterfly shape.

2. any similar clam, especially of the genus Donax.

3. a soft, whitish rock made up of fragments of marine shells and coral, used as a building material.

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coquina British  

/ kɒˈkiːnə /

noun

1. a soft limestone consisting of shells, corals, etc, that occurs in parts of the US

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coquina Scientific  

/ kō-kē′nə /

1. A soft porous limestone, composed of shells and fragments of shell and coral that are partially cemented by material that is high in calcium carbonate and has not completely hardened.

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Etymology

Origin of coquina

1830–40, < Spanish: literally, shellfish, equivalent to Old Spanish coc(a ) shellfish (< Latin concha; see conch) + -ina -ine ¹