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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

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Early on, players are encouraged to dive underwater and are met with a fantastic coral landscape.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

The protected coral is estimated to be 300-400 years old and is believed to be among the largest black corals ever recorded in the waters of Aotearoa New Zealand.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

Oceanographers at the state-controlled Chinese Academy of Sciences said the platform was a temporary scientific research facility studying the shoal’s coral reefs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

A gigantic skeleton was embedded in the coral.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Dr. John Walsh, a 57-year-old family physician in Cape Coral, Fla., was diagnosed with alpha-gal in November after having recurring episodes of facial swelling and breathing difficulties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Notre Dame is expected to face Norco’s top one-two pitching duo of Coral Williams and Peyton May.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 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

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

After the Aleuts had killed our men at Coral Cove, all the women of our tribe had singed their hair short as a sign of mourning.

From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell

Black coral is protected under the Wildlife Act, and it is illegal to intentionally collect or damage these corals.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

Similar to Portuguese man o' war, by-the-wind sailors are colonies of animals related to sea anemones and corals, and they possess stinging cells.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

The “underwater city” of a barrier reef bustles with activity, with vibrantly patterned fish darting busily between corals and sea sponges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

The algae reside in the structure built by corals, and in return produce nutrients for their host by photosynthesis.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

“The whole Archipelago. But this one has corals marked—corals that grow tall as trees beneaths the water, as’ll tear a boat to shreds if it tries to sail up and over.”

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

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