Coral snake

Coral snake
Coral Cor"al, n. [Of. coral, F, corail, L. corallum, coralium, fr. Gr. kora`llion.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) The hard parts or skeleton of various Anthozoa, and of a few Hydrozoa. Similar structures are also formed by some Bryozoa. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

3. A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything. [1913 Webster]

{Brain coral}, or {Brain stone coral}. See under {Brain}.

{Chain coral}. See under {Chain}.

{Coral animal} (Zo["o]l.), 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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Coral snake — (Micrurus sp.) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia …   Wikipedia

  • coral snake — ☆ coral snake n. any of several small, poisonous, burrowing elapine snakes (genera Micrurus and Micruroides), found in the S U.S. and subtropical America, with coral red, yellow, and black bands around its body …   English World dictionary

  • coral snake — kȯr əl , kär n any of several venomous chiefly tropical New World elapid snakes of the genus Micrurus that are brilliantly banded in red, black, and yellow or white and include two (M. fulvius and M. euryxanthus) ranging northward into the… …   Medical dictionary

  • coral snake — 1. any of numerous venomous elapid snakes, found chiefly in the New World tropics, as Micrurus fulvius (eastern coral snake), of the southeastern U.S., often brilliantly marked with bands of red, yellow, and black. 2. any of several other snakes …   Universalium

  • coral snake — noun 1. any of various venomous elapid snakes of Asia and Africa and Australia • Syn: ↑Old World coral snake • Hypernyms: ↑elapid, ↑elapid snake • Hyponyms: ↑Asian coral snake, ↑African coral snake, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • coral snake — /ˈkɒrəl sneɪk/ (say koruhl snayk) noun 1. a small, venomous but unaggressive snake, Brachyurophis australis, of eastern Australia, red with distinctive black and yellow banding. 2. any of the brilliantly coloured venomous snakes of the genus… …  

  • coral snake — noun Date: circa 1772 1. any of several venomous chiefly tropical New World elapid snakes (genus Micrurus) brilliantly banded in red, black, and yellow or white that include two (M. fulvius and M. euryxanthus) ranging northward into the southern… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • coral snake — noun a brightly banded venomous snake of the cobra family. [Micrurus and other genera: numerous species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • coral snake — cor′al snake n. ram any of several venomous elapid snakes often marked with bands of red, yellow, and black, as Micrurus fulvius, of the SE U.S …   From formal English to slang

  • coral snake — noun Any of various venomous snakes of the genera Micrurus and Micruroides, native to tropical South America and Southern USA and having bright bands of red, yellow and black …   Wiktionary

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