The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Coral \Cor"al\, n. [Of. coral, F, corail, L. corallum, coralium,
fr. Gr. kora`llion.]
1. (Zool.) The hard parts or skeleton of various Anthozoa,
and of a few Hydrozoa. Similar structures are also formed
by some Bryozoa.
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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.
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2. The ovaries of a cooked lobster; -- so called from their
color.
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3. A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and
other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything.
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Brain coral, or Brain stone coral. See under Brain.
Chain coral. See under Chain.
Coral animal (Zool.), 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.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Chain \Chain\ (ch[=a]n), n. [F. cha[^i]ne, fr. L. catena. Cf.
Catenate.]
1. A series of links or rings, usually of metal, connected,
or fitted into one another, used for various purposes, as
of support, of restraint, of ornament, of the exertion and
transmission of mechanical power, etc.
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[They] put a chain of gold about his neck. --Dan. v.
29.
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2. That which confines, fetters, or secures, as a chain; a
bond; as, the chains of habit.
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Driven down
To chains of darkness and the undying worm.
--Milton.
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3. A series of things linked together; or a series of things
connected and following each other in succession; as, a
chain of mountains; a chain of events or ideas.
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4. (Surv.) An instrument which consists of links and is used
in measuring land.
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Note: One commonly in use is Gunter's chain, which consists
of one hundred links, each link being seven inches and
ninety-two one hundredths in length; making up the
total length of rods, or sixty-six, feet; hence, a
measure of that length; hence, also, a unit for land
measure equal to four rods square, or one tenth of an
acre.
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5. pl. (Naut.) Iron links bolted to the side of a vessel to
bold the dead-eyes connected with the shrouds; also, the
channels.
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6. (Weaving) The warp threads of a web. --Knight.
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Chain belt (Mach.), a belt made of a chain; -- used for
transmitting power.
Chain boat, a boat fitted up for recovering lost cables,
anchors, etc.
Chain bolt
(a) (Naut.) The bolt at the lower end of the chain plate,
which fastens it to the vessel's side.
(b) A bolt with a chain attached for drawing it out of
position.
Chain bond. See Chain timber.
Chain bridge, a bridge supported by chain cables; a
suspension bridge.
Chain cable, a cable made of iron links.
Chain coral (Zool.), a fossil coral of the genus
Halysites, common in the middle and upper Silurian
rocks. The tubular corallites are united side by side in
groups, looking in an end view like links of a chain. When
perfect, the calicles show twelve septa.
Chain coupling.
(a) A shackle for uniting lengths of chain, or connecting
a chain with an object.
(b) (Railroad) Supplementary coupling together of cars
with a chain.
Chain gang, a gang of convicts chained together.
Chain hook (Naut.), a hook, used for dragging cables about
the deck.
Chain mail, flexible, defensive armor of hammered metal
links wrought into the form of a garment.
Chain molding (Arch.), a form of molding in imitation of a
chain, used in the Normal style.
Chain pier, a pier suspended by chain.
Chain pipe (Naut.), an opening in the deck, lined with
iron, through which the cable is passed into the lockers
or tiers.
Chain plate (Shipbuilding), one of the iron plates or
bands, on a vessel's side, to which the standing rigging
is fastened.
Chain pulley, a pulley with depressions in the periphery of
its wheel, or projections from it, made to fit the links
of a chain.
Chain pumps. See in the Vocabulary.
Chain rule (Arith.), a theorem for solving numerical
problems by composition of ratios, or compound proportion,
by which, when several ratios of equality are given, the
consequent of each being the same as the antecedent of the
next, the relation between the first antecedent and the
last consequent is discovered.
Chain shot (Mil.), two cannon balls united by a shot chain,
formerly used in naval warfare on account of their
destructive effect on a ship's rigging.
Chain stitch. See in the Vocabulary.
Chain timber. (Arch.) See Bond timber, under Bond.
Chain wales. (Naut.) Same as Channels.
Chain wheel. See in the Vocabulary.
Closed chain, Open chain (Chem.), terms applied to the
chemical structure of compounds whose rational formul[ae]
are written respectively in the form of a closed ring (see
Benzene nucleus, under Benzene), or in an open
extended form.
Endless chain, a chain whose ends have been united by a
link.
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