coquina

[ koh-kee-nuh ]
/ koʊˈki nə /

noun

Also called pompano, butterfly-shell clam. a small clam, Donax variabilis, abundant in the intertidal zone of eastern and southern U.S. coastal beaches, having fanlike bands of various hues, the paired empty shells often spread in a butterfly shape.
any similar clam, especially of the genus Donax.
a soft, whitish rock made up of fragments of marine shells and coral, used as a building material.

Origin of coquina

1830–40, Americanism; < Spanish: literally, shellfish, equivalent to Old Spanish coc(a) shellfish (< Latin concha; see conch) + -ina -ine1

Words nearby coquina

coquilla nut, coquillage, coquille, coquilles st. jacques, coquimbite, coquina, coquito, cor, cor adiposum, cor anglais, cor biloculare

Example sentences from the Web for coquina

British Dictionary definitions for coquina

coquina
/ (kɒˈkiːnə) /

noun

a soft limestone consisting of shells, corals, etc, that occurs in parts of the US

Word Origin for coquina

C19: from Spanish: shellfish, probably from concha shell, conch

Scientific definitions for coquina

coquina
[ kō-kē′nə ]

A soft porous limestone, composed of shells and fragments of shell and coral that are partially cemented by material that is high in calcium carbonate and has not completely hardened.