gorgonia Meaning, Definition & Usage

Gor*go"ni*a noun

Etymology

L., a coral which hardens in the air.

Definitions

(Zoöl.)

1. A genus of Gorgoniacea, formerly very extensive, but now restricted to such species as the West Indian sea fan (Gorgonia flabellum), sea plume (G. setosa), and other allied species having a flexible, horny axis.
2. Any slender branched gorgonian.