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Webster 1913 Edition

Coral

Cor′al

,
Noun.
[Of.
coral
, F,
corail
, L.
corallum
,
coralium
, fr. Gr.
κοράλλιον
.]
1.
(Zool.)
The hard parts or skeleton of various Anthozoa, and of a few Hydrozoa. Similar structures are also formed by some Bryozoa.
☞ The large stony corals forming coral reefs belong to various genera of
Madreporaria
, and to the hydroid genus,
Millepora
. The red coral, used in jewelry, is the stony axis of the stem of a gorgonian (
Corallium rubrum
) found chiefly in the Mediterranean. The
fan corals
,
plume corals
, and
sea feathers
are species of
Gorgoniacea
, in which the axis is horny. Organ-pipe coral is formed by the genus
Tubipora
, an Alcyonarian, and
black coral
is in part the axis of species of the genus
Antipathes
. See
Anthozoa
,
Madrepora
.
2.
The ovaries of a cooked lobster; – so called from their color.
3.
A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything.
Brain coral
, or
Brain stone coral
.
See under
Brain
.
–
Chain coral
.
See under
Chain
.
–
Coral animal
(Zool.)
,
one of the polyps by which corals are formed. They are often very erroneously called
coral insects
.
–
Coral fish
.
See in the Vocabulary.
–
Coral reefs
(Phys. Geog.)
,
reefs, often of great extent, made up chiefly of fragments of corals, coral sands, and the solid limestone resulting from their consolidation. They are classed as
fringing reefs
, when they border the land;
barrier reefs
, when separated from the shore by a broad belt of water;
atolls
, when they constitute separate islands, usually inclosing a lagoon. See
Atoll
.
–
Coral root
(Bot.)
,
a genus (
Corallorhiza
) of orchideous plants, of a yellowish or brownish red color, parasitic on roots of other plants, and having curious jointed or knotted roots not unlike some kinds of coral. See Illust. under
Coralloid
.
–
Coral snake
.
(Zo)
(a)
A small, venomous, Brazilian snake
(Elaps corallinus)
, coral-red, with black bands.
(b)
A small, harmless, South American snake (
Tortrix scytale
).
–
Coral tree
(Bot.)
,
a tropical, leguminous plant, of several species, with showy, scarlet blossoms and coral-red seeds. The best known is
Erythrina Corallodendron
.
–
Coral wood
,
a hard, red cabinet wood.
McElrath.

Webster 1828 Edition

Coral

CORAL

,
Noun.
[L. Gr.]
1.
In zoology, a genus belonging to the order of vermes zoophyta. The trunk is radicated, jointed and calcarious. The species are distinguished by the form of their branches, and are found in the ocean adhering to stones, bones, shells, &c. Coral was formerly supposed to be a vegetable substance, but is now known to be composed of a congeries of animals. Coral is red, white and black. It is properly the shells of marine animals of the polype kind, consisting of calcarious earth combined with gelatine and other animal matter. In the South Sea, the isles are mostly coral rocks covered with earth. Corals seem to consist of carbonate of lime and animal matter, in equal proportions.
2.
A piece of coral worn by children about their necks.

CORAL

,
Adj.
Made of coral; resembling coral.

Definition 2024

Coral

Coral

See also: coral

English

Proper noun

Coral

  1. A female given name.
    • 1990, Ed McBain, Vespers, Mandarin (1991), ISBN 0749305967, page 78:
      "Where are you from originally, Coral?" / "Indiana." / "Lots of Corals out there, I bet." / She hesitated, seemed about to flare, and then smiled instead, showing a little gap between two front teeth. "Well, it was Cora Lucille, I guess, " she said, still smiling, looking very much like a Cora Lucille in that moment.

Usage notes

  • Used since the end of the 19th century, mostly in the UK.

Anagrams

coral

coral

See also: Coral

English

Eunicella cavolinii (1), (2)

Noun

coral ‎(countable and uncountable, plural corals)

  1. (uncountable) A hard substance made of the limestone skeletons of marine polyps.
  2. (countable) A colony of marine polyps.
  3. (countable) A somewhat yellowish pink colour, the colour of red coral.
    coral colour:    
  4. The ovaries of a cooked lobster; so called from their colour.
  5. (historical) A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything.

Translations

Adjective

coral ‎(not comparable)

  1. Made of coral.
  2. Having the yellowish pink colour of coral.

Translations

Derived terms

See also

Anagrams

Catalan

Adjective

coral m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural corals)

  1. strong, close (relationship)
  2. choral

Noun

coral m ‎(plural corals)

  1. chorus music
  2. coral (organism)


Old Spanish

Etymology

From Old French coral, from Latin corallium, from Ancient Greek κοράλλιον ‎(korállion).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [koˈɾal]

Noun

coral m (plural corales)

  1. coral
    • c. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario, f. 14v.
      DEl dozeno grado del ſigno de tauro es la piedra aque dizen coral negro.
      Of the twelfth degree of the sign of Taurus is the stone they call black coral.

Descendants

Portuguese

Noun

coral m (plural corais)

  1. choir (group of singer)

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ko̞ˈɾal/
  • Rhymes: -al

Etymology 1

From Old Spanish coral, from Old French coral, from Latin corallium, from Ancient Greek κοράλλιον ‎(korállion).

Noun

coral m ‎(plural corales)

  1. (zoology) coral
  2. (botany) coral vine (Kennedia coccinea)

Etymology 2

From coro "choir" + -al.

Adjective

coral m, f ‎(plural corales)

  1. choral

Noun

coral m ‎(plural corales)

  1. chorale

References

Etymology

From coral.

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɒrəl

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