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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

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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

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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

A team led by Dr. Shawna Foo found that living coral tissue survived nearly 75 percent of the observed feeding events.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

When their numbers increase dramatically, they can destroy extensive areas of coral, leaving reefs struggling to recover.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

Under the right conditions, their feeding behavior may actually prevent a few dominant coral species from taking over the reef.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

The overexploitation of parrotfish and other groupers threatens 63 percent of coral reef ecosystems.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Her lips were coated in a complementary coral gloss, and a bit of the color had strayed beyond the borders.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Age 60 to 63 is also an important time to look at which accounts you will draw money from and when, said Charles Sachs, chief investment officer at Imperio Wealth Advisors in Coral Gables, Fla.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

Coral Pena told the outlet that she heard a bang during the incident.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Voting and property records show that he and his wife make their primary residence at a waterfront mansion in Coral Gables, Fla., that they purchased for $22 million in 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Coral reef recovery is a highly active area of research, with efforts ranging from using artificial nurseries to rescue reefs to finding and cultivating more heat-tolerant species.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

A few minutes later Abbey showed up, and we hung around until the Coral Queen was off the bottom.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

The researchers found that surviving fragments of fast-growing Acroporidae corals did not regenerate over the areas damaged by starfish feeding.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

Overfishing is also hurting corals as certain herbivores and predators help control algae and maintain an ecological balance, the organisation said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

A reef ecosystem collapses when hard corals -- which build its living foundation -- largely disappear and are replaced by algae, rubble and sponges.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Without them, corals lose their vibrant colors, struggle to obtain enough nourishment, and become more susceptible to harmful algae.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Flower gardens were replaced with gardens of corals and sea sponges.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

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