coralline

American  

[kawr-uh-lin, -lahyn, kor-] / ˈkɔr ə lɪn, -ˌlaɪn, ˈkɒr- /

adjective

1. composed of coral or having the structure of coral.

   coralline limestone.

2. corallike.

3. coral-colored; reddish-yellow; light yellowish-red; pinkish-yellow.

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noun

1. any red algae impregnated with lime.

2. any of various corallike animals or calcareous algae.

coralline British  

/ ˈkɒrəˌlaɪn /

adjective

1. Also: coralloid.  of, relating to, or resembling coral

2. of the colour of coral

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noun

1. any of various red algae impregnated with calcium carbonate, esp any of the genus Corallina

2. any of various animals that resemble coral, such as certain sponges

Etymology

Origin of coralline

First recorded in 1535–45, coralline is from the Late Latin word corallīnus coral red. See coral, -ine ¹

Example Sentences

They found that the disease not only reduces susceptible coral populations but also diminishes crustose coralline algae, the resilient pink crust that is crucial for building reef structure.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2024

Whereas coralline algae form thin, hard crusts that are pink or whitish, peyssonnelid algae make thicker, brown or dark red crusts that are often a little squishy above a hard base.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 6, 2023

Gelidium flourishes along the wave-battered west coast shore, and varies from sickly yellow clumps to purple coralline fans.

From The Guardian • Oct. 27, 2020

The waterfront is lined with old palazzos of coralline limestone, whose façades were glowing in the dusk.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 27, 2018

He showed that with very few exceptions all the remoter islands of the great oceans were of volcanic or coralline formation, and that none of them contained indigenous mammalia or amphibia.

From Island Life Or the Phenomena and Causes of Insular Faunas and Floras by Wallace, Alfred Russel