madrepore

[ mad-ruh-pawr, -pohr ]
/ ˈmæd rəˌpɔr, -ˌpoʊr /

noun

any true or stony coral of the order Madreporaria, forming reefs or islands in tropical seas.

Origin of madrepore

1745–55; < French madrépore reef-building coral < Italian madrepora, equivalent to madre mother (< Latin māter) + -pora, for poro < Greek pôros kind of stone

OTHER WORDS FROM madrepore

mad·re·por·ic [mad-ruh-pawr-ik, -por-] /ˌmæd rəˈpɔr ɪk, -ˈpɒr-/, mad·re·po·ri·an [mad-ruh-pawr-ee-uh n, -pohr-] /ˌmæd rəˈpɔr i ən, -ˈpoʊr-/, adjective

Words nearby madrepore

madras, madras states, madrasah, madre, madre de dios, madrepore, madreporite, madrid, madrigal, madrigalist, madrileño

Example sentences from the Web for madrepore

British Dictionary definitions for madrepore

madrepore
/ (ˌmædrɪˈpɔː) /

noun

any coral of the genus Madrepora, many of which occur in tropical seas and form large coral reefs: order Zoantharia

Derived forms of madrepore

madreporal, madreporic (ˌmædrɪˈpɒrɪk), madreporitic (ˌmædrɪpəˈrɪtɪk) or madreporian, adjective

Word Origin for madrepore

C18: via French from Italian madrepora mother-stone, from madre mother + -pora, from Latin porus or Greek poros calcareous stone, stalactite