coral

The word “coral” means a hard, often colourful structure built by tiny marine animals, or the animals themselves, that forms reefs in warm seas. In plain terms, either the marine structure built by tiny sea animals, or the pinkish-orange colour named after it.

“Coral” is pronounced KO-ruhl (/ˈkɔɹəl/ in IPA).

Here is “coral” used in a sentence: “Divers explored the coral reef teeming with fish.”

Depending on how it is used, “coral” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “coral” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old French coral, from Latin corallium, from Ancient Greek korallion.

“Coral” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Coral” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a hard, often colourful structure built by tiny marine animals, or the animals themselves, that forms reefs in warm seas.

Coral is an animal, not a plant or rock. It is a hard structure built by tiny marine organisms, and colonies of these animals form reefs in warm seas over time.

Coral refers to the animals themselves or the hard skeletal structure they build, while a coral reef is the much larger formation created when many coral colonies grow together. A reef is essentially a large, layered accumulation of coral over a wide area.

As a colour, coral describes a yellowish-pink shade resembling that of red coral. It is commonly used in fashion, design, and cosmetics to describe warm pink-orange tones.

Yes, coral works as an adjective meaning either coloured like coral (a yellowish-pink hue) or made from coral material, as in a coral necklace.