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
Here, the vocalist juxtaposed a mature half-sheer white gown with a ballerina bun, blue eyeliner in her bottom lash line, coral and bronze eye shadow on her lids, black mascara and a nude lip.
—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
2 July 2026
The winning images of a tiny goby living amongst coral were created to challenge our perception of scale and encourage viewers to look closer.
—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
The sediment can settle on coral and weaken or kill it, as happened during the 2013 PortMiami Deep Dredge Project.
—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
28 June 2026
This July, nail colors are heating up with luxe blues, simmering reds, and tropical corals.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for coral
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Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
2 July 2026
The winning images of a tiny goby living amongst coral were created to challenge our perception of scale and encourage viewers to look closer.
—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
The sediment can settle on coral and weaken or kill it, as happened during the 2013 PortMiami Deep Dredge Project.
—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
28 June 2026
This July, nail colors are heating up with luxe blues, simmering reds, and tropical corals.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for coral
Cite this Entry
“Coral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coral. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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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