Jump To:

• 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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

In the first global assessment of its kind, the world authority on threatened wildlife classified 96 percent of the planet's coral reef systems as "critically endangered" -- its highest risk category.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

The IUCN's analysis examined 127 tropical and subtropical coral systems covering 188,362 square kilometres.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Scientists warn that every additional fraction of a degree above 1.5C increases extreme weather events and the likelihood of irreversible changes to the planet, from dying coral reefs to melting permafrost.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

Through these connections, beneficial algae and the nutrients they produce could pass from the healthy coral into the bleached one.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Bright blue rocks are layered over the bottom of the tank, with fake plants sprouting through them, coral reef ornaments scattered at random.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

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

Coral gardens like this one are considered vulnerable marine ecosystems.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

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 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

The village of Ghalas-at lay east of the hills on a small mesa, near Coral Cove and a good spring.

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

The emergence this year of a "super" El Nino, the natural warming phenomenon, also presents a risk to corals, Gudka said at a news conference at the UN's COP17 biodiversity summit in Yerevan, Armenia.

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

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

"While bleached corals may be dying, they are not dead yet," said lead author Danny Collins, an oceans PhD student at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• cardinal
• crimson
• flaming
• glowing
• maroon
• rose
• wine

---