staghorn coral

noun

any of several stony corals of the genus Acropora, having the skeleton branched like the antlers of a stag.

Also stag's-horn coral.

Origin of staghorn coral

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

stag's-horn coral

[stagz-hawrn]

noun

staghorn coral.

Origin of stag's-horn coral

First recorded in 1880–85

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018