Definitions

1. adjective

Pertaining to or resembling a coenosteum, especially in being a hard or calcified, often brightly colored, exoskeleton or shell.

“The coenosteal structure of the coral reef is an essential habitat for various marine species.”

2. noun

A hard or calcified, often brightly colored, exoskeleton or shell, especially of a coral or related organism.

“The coenosteal plates of the fossilized coral are an important discovery in the field of paleontology.”