brain coral

noun

: a massive reef-building coral (such as genus Diploria) having the surface covered by ridges and furrows

Examples of brain coral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Over several evenings, more than 75% of the Center's brain coral colonies reproduced, creating nearly a half-million larvae. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 Altogether 37 colonies of elkhorn and brain coral made the journey. Jenny Staletovich, NPR, 22 June 2024 Three species of sea turtles nest at the park, brain coral abound, and both endangered brown pelicans and threatened least terns call it home. Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024 Thickets of wild elkhorn and mounds of brain coral were bleached or already dead. Catrin Einhorn Jason Gulley, New York Times, 31 July 2023 The Maldives: Modeling a city on a brain coral Few countries are more at risk from the climate crisis than the Maldives. Laura Paddison, CNN, 26 Mar. 2023 The skeleton design takes inspiration from nature: Many species such as brain corals grow in a dome shape, while branching or plate corals grow upward from a solid base. WIRED, 16 Feb. 2023 On the reef, Chamberland finishes her inspection of the brain coral and leaves the butterflyfish to their vigil. Michelle Nijhuis, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2018 The staghorn, elkhorn and brain coral living in Government Cut provide a real-world example of how coral communities can adapt to such things as rising heat and polluted runoff, even in such an unlikely setting as the port of Miami. Curt Anderson and Cody Jackson, Anchorage Daily News, 9 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brain coral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1711, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brain coral was circa 1711

Dictionary Entries Near brain coral

Cite this Entry

“Brain coral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brain%20coral. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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