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

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

In another, granular soil the color of baked salt was embedded with red coral; a planet hung in the sky, and a hovering robot traversed the horizon.

From The New Yorker • May 11, 2015

He had strings of sky blue turquoise strings of red coral in his ears.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko