Mad"re*pore (?), n. [F.
madrepore, perh. fr. madré spotted, fr. OF.
madre, mazre, a kind of knotty wood with brown spots,
fr. OHG. masar a knot, grain, or vein in wood, a speck, G.
maser + pore (see Pore); or perh. F.
madrépore is rather from It. madrepora, and this
perh. fr. It. madre mother (see Mother) + Gr. ? a
soft stone.] (Zoöl.) Any coral of the genus
Madrepora; formerly, often applied to any stony coral.