coral
noun
cor·al
| \ ˈkȯr-əl
, ˈkär-\
, ˈkär-\
Definition of coral
1a
: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps
especially
: a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium)
b
: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton
2
: a piece of coral and especially of red coral
3a
: a bright reddish ovary (as of a lobster or scallop)
b
: a deep pink
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Other Words from coral
coral
adjective
coralloid
\ ˈkȯr-ə-ˌlȯid
, ˈkär- \
adjective
, ˈkär- \
adjective
Examples of coral in a Sentence
brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral
Recent Examples on the Web
Travelers instead may use reef-safe sunscreens made with minerals such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (here’s a list of hundreds of coral-safe sunscreens to try). — Los Angeles Times, "U.S. Virgin Islands’ ban on harmful sunscreens to go into effect Jan. 1," 28 Aug. 2019 There are degrees of severity to the bleaching that coral reefs are facing, but the warmer the waters stay - and the longer the nutritious algae stays away - the greater the threat. — Author: Katie Mettler, Anchorage Daily News, "There’s a giant volcanic rock ‘raft’ floating in the Pacific Ocean," 27 Aug. 2019 Scientists in the state have started to prepare for a major coral reef bleaching event due to warmer-than-average ocean temperatures. — USA TODAY, "Burro bandits, sugarcane shake-up, naked bike ride: News from around our 50 states," 26 Aug. 2019 But others think Earhart and Noonan instead landed about 350 nautical miles southeast of Howland, touching down on the coral reef barrier that surrounded Gardner Island—now known as Nikumaroro Island. — Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics, "Was Amelia Earhart Eaten by Crabs?," 26 Aug. 2019 Donors helped the university check the health of coral reefs in Palau, and to begin to examining whether the century-old drug suramin can treat autism. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "With unexpected speed, UC San Diego raises $2 billion in donations to transform campus," 18 Aug. 2019 Much of the Technicolor coral reef had been destroyed by the thousands of tourists who descended each day. — New York Times, "Here There Be Dragons. But Can They Survive an Invasion of Tourists?," 12 Aug. 2019 In 2013, the USS Guardian, a minesweeper, accidentally ran into a sensitive coral reef in the Philippines. — Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, "Iran Has Hundreds of Naval Mines. U.S. Navy Minesweepers Find Old Dishwashers and Car Parts.," 9 Aug. 2019 In the early 1980s, hundreds of tourists flocked to its sandy white beaches and explored its underwater worlds with beautiful coral reefs. — Suyin Haynes, Time, "The Red Sea Diving Resort," 1 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for coral
coral
noun
English Language Learners Definition of coral
: a hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of small creatures
: an orange pink color
See the full definition for coral in the English Language Learners Dictionary
coral
noun
cor·al
| \ ˈkȯr-əl
\
\
Kids Definition of coral
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a tiny soft-bodied animal that typically lives within a stony skeleton grouped in large colonies and that is related to the jellyfish
2
: a piece of stony material consisting of the skeletons of corals
3
: a colony of corals coral reef
4
: a dark pink
coral
adjectiveKids Definition of coral (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: made of coral
a coral reef
2
: of a dark pink color
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