Small sea animals that live in colonies and build colorful reef structures, or the hard, colorful skeletons they leave behind that form coral reefs.
From Greek 'korallion', possibly from a Semitic language. Coral entered European languages through Greek traders who encountered these remarkable structures. Medieval Europeans were fascinated by coral and valued it as a precious material for jewelry and religious objects.
Corals are animals, not plants—but they were classified as plants for 2,000 years! Scientists didn't realize these beautiful reef-builders were actually tiny creatures working together until the 18th century. Today, coral reefs are basically rainforests of the ocean, housing 25% of all marine species.
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