Atolls

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Coral \Cor"al\, n. [Of. coral, F, corail, L. corallum, coralium,
     fr. Gr. kora`llion.]
     1. (Zool.) The hard parts or skeleton of various Anthozoa,
        and of a few Hydrozoa. Similar structures are also formed
        by some Bryozoa.
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     Note: 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}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The ovaries of a cooked lobster; -- so called from their
        color.
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     3. A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and
        other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything.
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     {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.
        [1913 Webster]