scleractinian

English

Etymology

Scleractinia +‎ -ian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌsklɪəɹækˈtɪniən/

Adjective

scleractinian (comparative more scleractinian, superlative most scleractinian)

1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the corals of the order Scleractinia.
   • 2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, chapter 7, in The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Henry Holt and Company:

     In the buildup to the big night—the mass spawning always occurs after sundown—the corals begin to “set,” which might be thought of as the scleractinian version of going into labor.

Noun

scleractinian (plural scleractinians)

1. Any of the corals of the order Scleractinia.