CORAL


Meaning of CORAL in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈkȯr-əl, ˈkär- ]

noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin corallium, from Greek korallion

Date: 14th century

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

• cor·al·loid -ə-ˌlȯid adjective

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.