pileus

American

[pahy-lee-uhs, pil-ee-] / ˈpaɪ li əs, ˈpɪl i- /

noun

Mycology. the horizontal portion of a mushroom, bearing gills, tubes, etc., on its underside; a cap.
Zoology.
1. the umbrella or bell of a jellyfish.
2. pileum.
Also called cap cloud. Also called scarf cloud. Meteorology. a small, thin cloud just above or attached to a growing cumulus cloud.
a felt skullcap worn by the ancient Romans and Greeks.

pileus British

/ ˈpɪl-, ˈpaɪlɪəs /

noun

the upper cap-shaped part of a mushroom or similar spore-producing body

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pileus Scientific

/ pī′lē-əs /

The umbrellalike fruiting structure forming the top of a fleshy fungus. It is supported by the stipe. The cap of a mushroom is a pileus.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

Etymology

Origin of pileus

1750–60; < New Latin, special use of Latin pīleus skullcap; akin to Greek pîlos felt, felt cap

Vocabulary lists containing pileus

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The following definitions are here given, and will be found necessary:— PILEUS.

From Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Palmer, Julius A. (Julius Auboineau)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023