Mād're-pōre, n.

noun

n. [Fr. madré-pore, from madré, spotted, and pore, a pore; madré, from O. Fr. madre, mære, a kind of knotty wood, with brown spots, from O. H. Ger. masar, N. H. Ger. maser, a knot, grain or vein in wood, speck.] (Min.) (a.) A coral of the genus Madrepora, the species of which usually branch like trees and shrubs, and have the surface covered with small prominences, each containing a cell. (b.) In a popular sense, other branching corals, and sometimes corals generally. See CORAL. Dana.

An illustration of a branching, cup-shaped coral attached to a base.
Madrepore.