1
a
: 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
3
a
: a bright reddish ovary (as of a lobster or scallop)
b
: a deep pink
coral
adjective
Examples of coral in a Sentence
brightly colored fishes swimming among the coral
Recent Examples on the Web
Project engineers have even gone so far as to relocate coral in an effort to minimize environmental impact.
—
New Atlas, 1 Mar. 2025
The lion’s mane mushroom, in particular, looks like a frozen claymation waterfall, a clump of white coral or even the thick mane of a lion—hence its name.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
The gulf is also home to some of the oldest creatures on earth: black corals.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Caribbean islands are both volcanic with rich soil (e.g., Dominica and St. Vincent) and coral, with poor soil ( e.g., Barbados and Antigua).
—Elaine Savory, JSTOR Daily, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coral
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New Atlas, 1 Mar. 2025
The lion’s mane mushroom, in particular, looks like a frozen claymation waterfall, a clump of white coral or even the thick mane of a lion—hence its name.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
The gulf is also home to some of the oldest creatures on earth: black corals.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
Caribbean islands are both volcanic with rich soil (e.g., Dominica and St. Vincent) and coral, with poor soil ( e.g., Barbados and Antigua).
—Elaine Savory, JSTOR Daily, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coral
Cite this Entry
“Coral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coral. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coral
noun
cor·al
ˈkȯr-əl 
ˈkär-
1
a
: the stony or horny deposit that is composed of the skeletons of various polyps
especially
: a richly red coral used in jewelry
b
: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton
2
: a deep pink
coral
adjective
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