madrepore

mad·re·pore  (mdr-pôr, -pr)

n.

Any of various stony corals of the order Madreporaria, which includes the reef builders of tropical seas.

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[Italian madrepora : madre, mother (from Latin mter, mtr-; see mter- in Indo-European roots) + -pora (alteration of poro, tufa, pore, from Late Latin porus, passageway; see pore², or from Latin prus, calcareous stone, stalactite, from Greek pros).]

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madre·pori·an adj.

madre·poric adj.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

madrepore - corals having calcareous skeletons aggregations of which form reefs and islands madriporian coral, stony coral coral - marine colonial polyp characterized by a calcareous skeleton; masses in a variety of shapes often forming reefs Madreporaria, order Madreporaria - stony corals brain coral - massive reef-building coral having a convoluted and furrowed surface stag's-horn coral, staghorn coral - large branching coral resembling antlers mushroom coral - flattened disk-shaped stony coral (usually solitary and unattached)