agaric

American  

[ag-uh-rik, uh-gar-ik] / ˈæg ə rɪk, əˈgær ɪk /

noun

1. any fungus of the family Agaricaceae, including several common edible mushrooms.

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agaric British  

/ əˈɡærɪk, əˌɡærɪˈkeɪʃəs, ˈæɡərɪk /

noun

1. any saprotrophic basidiomycetous fungus of the family Agaricaceae, having gills on the underside of the cap. The group includes the edible mushrooms and poisonous forms such as the fly agaric

2. the dried spore-producing bodies of certain fungi, esp Polyphorus officinalis (or Boletus laricis ), formerly used in medicine

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Other Word Forms

• agaricaceous adjective

Etymology

Origin of agaric

1525–35; < New Latin Agaricus genus name < Greek agarikós (adj.) pertaining to Agaría, a town in Sarmatis; neuter agarikón used as noun, name of some fungi

Example Sentences

Vishnevsky became fascinated by fly agaric through the accounts of explorers in the 17th and 18th centuries witnessing mushroom rituals and shamanism in Siberia.

From Salon

It resembles the psychedelic fly agaric mushroom, a fungus as bright red as Rudolph's schnoz sprinkled with white flecks like snow.

From Salon

Over the next weeks, my finds range from lavender-hued wood blewits to groups of the local variety of fly agaric, whose warty, fairy-tale caps age into yellow stars.

From Salon

In winter, keep an eye out for red and white-speckled fly agaric mushrooms or the booted knight mushroom.

From The Guardian

Between September and November in his area, Csaba often finds the fly agaric, scientifically known as Amanita muscaria, like a patch discovered Oct.

From Seattle Times