the hard, variously colored, calcareous skeleton secreted by certain marine polyps.
such skeletons collectively, forming reefs, islands, etc.
the solitary or colonial polyp that secretes this calcareous skeleton.
a reddish yellow; light yellowish red; pinkish yellow.
the unimpregnated roe or eggs of the lobster that when boiled take on the color of red coral.
something made of coral, as an ornament, piece of jewelry, or a child's toy.
made of coral.
a coral reef; coral ornamentation.
making coral.
a coral polyp.
resembling coral, especially in color; yellowish-red.
any marine mostly colonial coelenterate of the class Anthozoa having a calcareous, horny, or soft skeleton See also stony coral sea fan
the calcareous or horny material forming the skeleton of certain of these animals
( as modifier ) See also red coral
a coral reef
a rocklike aggregation of certain of these animals or their skeletons, forming an island or reef
( as modifier )
a coral island
an object made of coral, esp a piece of jewellery
( as modifier )
a coral necklace
a deep-pink to yellowish-pink colour
( as adjective )
coral lipstick
the roe of a lobster or crab, which becomes pink when cooked
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.
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.
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several authors have described masses of upraised coral- rock round the greater part of the circumference of the island.
From Volcanic Islands by Darwin, Charles
In the Bay of BONIN, between the two southern arms of Celebes, there are numerous coral- reefs; but none of them seem to have an atoll-like structure.
From Coral Reefs by Darwin, Charles
To remedy this inconvenience Captain Calver devised an arrangement not unlike that employed by the coral- fishers.
From Discourses Biological and Geological Essays by Huxley, Thomas Henry
I well remember how much surprise I felt at the beauty of the first coral- snake which I saw gliding across a path in Brazil.
From The Descent of Man by Darwin, Charles
Holding the door of the cottage open with some difficulty, the coral- fisher pointed to the sky overhead.
From Temporal Power by Corelli, Marie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
