any coral of the order Gorgonacea, having a horny or calcareous branching skeleton: includes the sea fans and red corals
adjective
2.
of, relating to, or belonging to the Gorgonacea
Gorgonian in British English
(ɡɔːˈɡəʊnɪən)
adjective
of or resembling a Gorgon
gorgonian in American English
(gɔrˈgoʊniən)
noun
any of an order (Gorgonacea) of colonial anthozoans with a horny, axial skeleton that branches, as in the sea whips, or forms an open network, as in the sea fans
Word origin
ModL Gorgonia, name of the genus < L, coral (< Gorgo, Gorgon) + -an