fungus
any of a diverse group of eukaryotic single-celled or multinucleate organisms that live by decomposing and absorbing the organic material in which they grow, comprising the mushrooms, molds, mildews, smuts, rusts, and yeasts, and classified in the kingdom Fungi or, in some classification systems, in the division Fungi (Thallophyta) of the kingdom Plantae.
Pathology. a spongy, abnormal growth, as granulation tissue formed in a wound.
fungal: a fungus infection of the toenails.
Origin of fungus
1Other words from fungus
- fun·gic [fuhn-jik], /ˈfʌn dʒɪk/, adjective
- fun·gus·like, adjective
Words Nearby fungus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use fungus in a sentence
They say never to use honey, which contains spores that can cause fungus to grow on a hummingbird’s tongue.
Your dirty bird feeder could be spreading disease | Melissa Hart | February 9, 2021 | Washington PostThe company infuses their mattress material with copper, which fights bacteria, viruses, fungi, and mold while also keeping you cooler as you sleep.
Best memory foam mattress: Sleep better on one of these picks | PopSci Commerce Team | January 25, 2021 | Popular-ScienceIn itself, that wasn’t unprecedented, because horizontal transfers of genes are not uncommon in bacteria and even in animals, fungi and plants.
Plant Cells of Different Species Can Swap Organelles | Viviane Callier | January 20, 2021 | Quanta MagazineUnlike other pathogens such as bacteria, fungi and parasites, viruses have none of the machinery needed to make more copies of themselves, so they cannot reproduce on their own.
The COVID-19 Virus Is Mutating. What Does That Mean for Vaccines? | Alice Park | January 7, 2021 | TimeOften, it’s from people surprised to find themselves seeking help from a mysterious fungus at all.
Will psychedelic mushroom vacations come to the U. S.? | Jen Rose Smith | January 7, 2021 | Washington Post
Briefly, blister rust is an Asian fungus introduced from Europe to America around 1900.
Or how leaf-cutter ants cultivate a specific type of fungus so precious it is carried by the queen when she starts a new colony.
Jared Diamond Talks About His New Book for Young Readers | William O’Connor | April 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSalt Point is also the setting of a cautionary tale about foraging that has spread like a fungus among the mycological community.
The Foraging Wars: Extreme Eating Hits California | Debra A. Klein | January 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhatever its name, the fungus-caused illness—which can be fatal—is being called a silent epidemic.
A Fungal-Caused Illness Called Valley Fever Is Being Called a Silent Epidemic | CNBC | January 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTChronicling the fungus foragers who count posh New York restaurants as their clients.
Favus, tinea versicolor, and the various forms of ring-worm are caused by members of the fungus group.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddTinea Favosa, or favus, is a contagious and a very stubborn disease of the skin, caused by the fungus Achorion Schoenleinii.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin MalleyThe fungus spores will survive the winter, and be ready for work in spring.
Amateur Gardencraft | Eben E. RexfordThey rubbed disinfectant salves into their fungus-ridden hides.
The Planet Strappers | Raymond Zinke GallunHence they may be killed by means of applications of some fungus-killing fluid, as Bordeaux mixture.
A Civic Biology | George William Hunter
British Dictionary definitions for fungus
/ (ˈfʌŋɡəs) /
any member of a kingdom of organisms (Fungi) that lack chlorophyll, leaves, true stems, and roots, reproduce by spores, and live as saprotrophs or parasites. The group includes moulds, mildews, rusts, yeasts, and mushrooms
something resembling a fungus, esp in suddenly growing and spreading rapidly
pathol any soft tumorous growth
Origin of fungus
1Derived forms of fungus
- fungic (ˈfʌndʒɪk), adjective
- fungus-like, adjective
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
Scientific definitions for fungus
[ fŭng′gəs ]
Any of a wide variety of organisms that reproduce by spores, including the mushrooms, molds, yeasts, and mildews. The spores of most fungi grow a network of slender tubes called hyphae that spread into and feed off of dead organic matter or living organisms. Fungi absorb food by excreting enzymes that break down complex substances into molecules that can be absorbed into the hyphae. The hyphae also produce reproductive structures, such as mushrooms and other growths. Some fungi (called perfect fungi) can reproduce by both sexually produced spores and asexual spores; other fungi (called imperfect fungi or deuteromycetes) are thought to have lost their sexual stage and can only reproduce by asexual spores. Fungi can live in a wide variety of environments, and fungal spores can survive extreme temperatures. Fungi exist in over 100,000 species, nearly all of which live on land. They can be extremely destructive, feeding on almost any kind of material and causing food spoilage and many plant diseases. Although fungi were once grouped with plants, they are now considered a separate kingdom in taxonomy. See Table at taxonomy.
Other words from fungus
- fungal adjective
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse