Floridaâs tract of coral reefs has the honor of being the third-largest barrier reef ecosystem in the world. However, it could soon be a thing of the past, as the acidification of the oceanâs water is dissolving it faster than it can rebuild.
index (plural indexes or indices) 1  An alphabetical listing of items and their location. The index of a book lists words or expressions and the pages of the book upon which they are to be found. 2  The index finger; the forefinger. 3  A movable finger on a gauge, scale, etc.
A stock market index is a list of related stocks, together with statistics representing their aggregate value. It is used chiefly as a benchmark for indicating the value of its component stocks, as well as investment vehicles such as mutual funds that hold positions in those stocks.