coral reef

Save This Word!

See synonyms for coral reef on Thesaurus.com

noun

a reef composed mainly of coral and other organic matter of which parts have solidified into limestone.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of coral reef

First recorded in 1735–45

Words nearby coral reef

coralline, corallite, coralloid, coral pink, coral plant, coral reef, coralroot, Coral Sea, coral snake, Coral Springs, coral tree

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use coral reef in a sentence

In fact, coral reefs generate a constant stream of melodious tunes.
What underwater sounds can tell us about the state of coral reefs|Ellie Shechet|February 26, 2021|Popular-Science
For now, book the three-bedroom villa and explore the island’s hikes and pristine coral reef.
Everything You Need to Know About Travel in 2021|The Editors|February 1, 2021|Outside Online
To cool down, Peter, a climate scientist who studied coral reefs, had stood in a stream for an hour, like a man might stand at a morgue waiting to identify a loved one’s body, irritated by his powerlessness, massively depressed.
The Climate Crisis Is Worse Than You Can Imagine. Here’s What Happens If You Try.|by Elizabeth Weil|January 25, 2021|ProPublica
Cutting trees for fuel leads to deforestation, causing landslides and erosion of fertile land that can run off into the ocean, damaging coral reefs and marine ecosystems.
The TIME 2030 Committee Offers 8 Solutions for a More Equitable and Sustainable Future|TIME Staff|January 22, 2021|Time

When a coral reef is healthy, it’s quite noisy with the sound of marine activity, and that noise attracts more activity.
Please Get Your Noise Out of My Ears (Ep. 439)|Stephen J. Dubner|November 12, 2020|Freakonomics
I was out, maybe in the Great Barrier Reef catching black marlin.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Cason is now retired from the Foreign Service and is the mayor of Coral Gables, Florida.
Meet America’s Next Ambassador to Cuba|Eleanor Clift|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Coral reefs are in decline, coastal dead zones are on the rise, and marine life is dying.
‘Mission Blue’ Warning: The Ocean Is Not Too Big to Fail|Sylvia A. Earle|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For as long as anyone could remember, Adam Winfield of Cape Coral, Florida, wanted to join the U.S. military.
‘Kill Team’: The Documentary the Army Doesn’t Want You to See|Andrew Romano|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Big British bookmaker Coral has suspended betting on Kate announcing she is pregnant again before the end of this month.
New Kate Pregnancy Rumors Circulate!|Tom Sykes|July 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The birds that build them swallow a certain kind of glutinous weed growing on the coral rocks.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
The few birds that frequented the reef were very shy, and flew away at our approach: they were principally pelicans and terns.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Between these two ranges of islands we only obtained one cast of the lead which gave us thirty-three fathoms on a coral bottom.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
REEF k, in latitude 14 degrees 47 minutes, has a dry sand upon it: its sub-marine extent was not ascertained.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
All the islands are low and wooded, and surrounded by a coral reef of small extent.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King

British Dictionary definitions for coral reef

coral reef

noun

a marine ridge or reef consisting of coral and other organic material consolidated into limestone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for coral reef

coral reef

A mound or ridge of living coral, coral skeletons, and calcium carbonate deposits from other organisms such as calcareous algae, mollusks, and protozoans. Most coral reefs form in warm, shallow sea waters and rise to or near the surface, generally in the form of a barrier reef, fringing reef, or atoll. Coral reefs grow upward from the sea floor as the polyps of new corals cement themselves to the skeletons of those below and in turn provide support for algae and other organisms whose secretions serve to bind the skeletons together. The resulting structure provides a critical habitat for a wide variety of fish and marine invertebrates. Coral reefs also protect shores against erosion by causing large waves to break and lose some of their force before reaching land. The Great Barrier Reef off the northeastern coast of Australia extends for some 2,000 km (1,240 mi), making it the world's largest coral reef.

Cultural definitions for coral reef

coral reef

A formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals, a form of sea life.

notes for coral reef

Coral reefs form a protective environment for a wide variety of marine animals.

notes for coral reef

Atolls — ring-shaped islands that nearly or entirely enclose a lagoon — are coral reefs.

notes for coral reef

The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

notes for coral reef

Coral reefs are very sensitive to chemical pollution and changes in temperature and are considered to be in danger from environmental stress.

coral reef

Origin of coral reef

Words nearby coral reef

Words related to coral reef

How to use coral reef in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coral reef

Scientific definitions for coral reef

Cultural definitions for coral reef

notes for coral reef

notes for coral reef

notes for coral reef

notes for coral reef