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arrecife

reef

noun ah-rreh-SEE-feh Rare
Animals & Nature Sea Creatures

Origin: From Arabic al-rasif (the causeway, the paved road).

Usage Note

Arrecife is the standard word for a coral or rocky reef. Its Arabic origin (via al-rasif, the causeway) reflects the Moorish maritime vocabulary absorbed into Spanish. The most common collocation is el arrecife de coral (coral reef).

Examples

"Los peces viven cerca del arrecife de coral."

Natural Translation

The fish live near the coral reef.

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