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
The hoodie comes in gray, bright coral, and sky blue.
—
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2024
One photo shows a coral with a dark brown outline and mint green peeking through.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 July 2024
Here they are featured in round and teardrop shapes suspended on chains with ancient pieces of Sciacca coral, cameos, a gem set bear, and an octopus.
—Carol Woolton, Vogue, 2 July 2024
The area of live hard corals on Caribbean reefs has fallen by about 80 percent in recent decades.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for coral 
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2024
One photo shows a coral with a dark brown outline and mint green peeking through.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 July 2024
Here they are featured in round and teardrop shapes suspended on chains with ancient pieces of Sciacca coral, cameos, a gem set bear, and an octopus.
—Carol Woolton, Vogue, 2 July 2024
The area of live hard corals on Caribbean reefs has fallen by about 80 percent in recent decades.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for coral
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near coral
Cite this Entry
“Coral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coral. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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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