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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

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 results are flaky rows of delicate porcelain that resemble oversize scales or ruffling coral.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

"Lamu's mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds are not expendable. They support fisheries, livelihoods and coastal protection," the NGO said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Fish and octopus and coral make watery homes in their empty eye sockets and tooth cavities.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

The Coral Gables, Fla.-based firm closed its Finback Investment Partners 2024 Fund at its upper limit with nearly $500 million, exceeding the firm’s $350 million target.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 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

They have also benefitted from funding from musician Brian Eno's Coral Foundation.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 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 Coral Queen had just closed and the passengers were filing off, laughing and talking loudly.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Maerl beds may closely resemble corals but they are in fact thousands of pieces of free-living calcified seaweed that can interlock to create a carpet brimming with life.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

The discovery is particularly significant because black corals grow very slowly.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 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

A super El Nino would push sea temperatures up, from a baseline that is already often too warm for corals.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

Gardens of corals and sponges and flowery sea anemones clung to the rocks and danced in the whirling currents.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

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