Definition of coral

The word "coral" has its origins in ancient Greek and Latin. The Greek word "kora" (κορά) referred to the seaweed or sea Saint John's Wort, a type of algae that grows in tropical waters. The Greek naturalist Aristotle (384-322 BCE) is believed to have used the term to describe this seaweed. The Latin word "corallium" was later derived from "kora" and referred specifically to the red, branching coral reefs found in the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans. The Latin term was later adopted into Middle English as "corall", and has since evolved to refer to any hard, calcium carbonate structure formed by marine animals, such as coral reefs. Today, the word "coral" is used to describe not only the coral reefs themselves, but also the tiny animals that form them and the various colors and shapes they come in.