red coral

American  

noun

1. any of several alcyonarian corals of the genus Corallium, as C. nobile, of the Mediterranean Sea, having a red or pink skeleton, used for jewelry.

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red coral British  

noun

1. Also called: precious coral.  any of several corals of the genus Corallium , the skeletons of which are pinkish red in colour and used to make ornaments, etc

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Etymology

Origin of red coral

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325

Example Sentences

Peering through a collection of vibrant purple pompoms, a bright red coral sits atop blooming underwater vegetation.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2023

As they waited for everyone to arrive, they chatted about their day and flipped through catalogs, admiring silver cuff bracelets, a red coral necklace and the company’s popular moonstone earrings.

From Washington Times • Jul. 30, 2016

Or how about a bloom of endangered red coral for a little less cash?

From Time • Jun. 1, 2016

The closet doors in the guest rooms have waterfall veneers, night tables feature faux red coral lamps, and the carpets are art deco-inspired swirls of red, blue and turquoise.

From Washington Post • Apr. 18, 2016

I said, “A piece of red coral is made of gorgon’s blood. And gorgons are horrible snake monsters who live on islands.”

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri