mycelium

[ mahy-see-lee-uhm ]

noun,plural my·ce·li·a [mahy-see-lee-uh]. /maɪˈsi li ə/. Mycology.
  1. the mass of hyphae that form the vegetative part of a fungus.

Origin of mycelium

1
1830–40; <New Latin, equivalent to Greek myk-myc- + (h)ḗl(os) wart, nail + New Latin -ium-ium

Other words from mycelium

  • my·ce·li·al, adjective

Words Nearby mycelium

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How to use mycelium in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mycelium

mycelium

/ (maɪˈsiːlɪəm) /


nounplural -lia (-lɪə)
  1. the vegetative body of fungi: a mass of branching filaments (hyphae) that spread throughout the nutrient substratum

Origin of mycelium

1
C19 (literally: nail of fungus): from myco- + Greek hēlos nail

Derived forms of mycelium

  • mycelial, adjective
  • myceloid (ˈmaɪsɪˌlɔɪd), 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 mycelium

mycelium

[ mī-sēlē-əm ]


Plural mycelia
  1. The mass of fine branching tubes (known as hyphae) that forms the main growing structure of a fungus. Visible structures like mushrooms are reproductive structures produced by the mycelium.

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