Resembling or of the nature of alcyons (soft corals); having characteristics typical of soft coral organisms.
From alcyon- (soft coral) plus the suffix -oid, from Greek -oeides meaning 'resembling.' This suffix is used productively in English to mean 'similar to or having the form of.'
The -oid suffix is everywhere in science—asteroid means 'star-like,' android means 'man-like,' and alcyonoid means 'coral-like'—it's one of English's sneakiest way-builders!
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