coquina

noun

co·​qui·​na kō-ˈkē-nə How to pronounce coquina (audio)
1
: a soft whitish limestone formed of broken shells and corals cemented together and used for building
2
: a small wedge-shaped clam (Donax variabilis) used for broth or chowder and occurring in the intertidal zone of sandy Atlantic beaches from Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico

Examples of coquina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rocks, sand dollars, coquina mollusks — anything the ocean gave up. — CBS News, 2 Oct. 2024 The area’s history is revealed during a short hike that meanders through an old coquina quarry on the immediate righthand side of the park’s entrance. — Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, probably diminutive of coca head, alteration of coco bogeyman, coconut

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coquina was in 1837

Rhymes for coquina

See All Rhymes for coquina

Browse Nearby Words

coquina
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coquina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coquina. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

coquina

noun
co·​qui·​na kō-ˈkē-nə How to pronounce coquina (audio)
1
: a soft whitish limestone formed of broken shells and corals cemented together and used for building
2
: a small marine clam used especially to make broth or chowder

More from Merriam-Webster on coquina

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coquina

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All