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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

Whether your preference is melon, tangerine, ginger or coral - orange appears to be the big colour trend for next year.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

The section “Skeletal Embodiment,” in which all the featured garments and objects are shades of bleached bone, blanched coral and fossil gray, is simultaneously prehistoric and futuristic—a realm of deep time in both directions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

An environmental impact assessment found that the dredging in nearby Malakal Harbour -- expected to start this year -- will cause the loss of 4.26 hectares of coral, impacting endangered turtles, fish and dugong.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

A coral reef off the coast of Benin that was thought to be dead for decades has been found alive and apparently healthy.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

The explosion obliterated a coral island in Bikini Atoll, sucking millions of tons of coral dust into the sky.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

They “aren’t necessarily more gullible than everyone else, but they can be unusually attractive targets,” says Charles Sachs, a financial planner with Imperio Wealth Advisors in Coral Gables, Fla.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Coral reefs support vibrant marine ecosystems, but also act as breakwaters, protecting coastlines from storm-driven erosion and flooding.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Coral can live for decades or centuries, and they form a skeleton of calcium carbonate layers as they grow, kind of like rings on a tree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

He will be laid to rest at Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens in the south of Barbados.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

“Anyhow, I asked could I have back my old bartending job on the Coral Queen. I gave a big sob story about Lice bailin’ out on me, and how I was hurtin’ for money.”

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

They have not yet collected physical samples of the corals, so the identifications made from the camera footage still need to be confirmed.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

The geographic features are hot spots of biodiversity, with corals, sponges and even an octopus garden, just like in the Beatles song.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

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

Sooner or later, he believes "corals will die out without intervention".

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

But from afar, a galaxy reminds me more of a collection of lovely found objects—seashells, perhaps, or corals, the productions of Nature laboring for aeons in the cosmic ocean.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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