-mycete

The combining form -mycete is used like a suffix meaning “mushroom, fungus.” It is occasionally used in the scientific names for classes of fungi in taxonomy.

The form -mycete comes from Greek mykétes, the plural of mykēs, meaning “mushroom.” Other combining forms meaning “fungus” that come from this same Greek root are myco- and myc-.

What are variants of -mycete?

The form -mycete is the singular form of -mycetes, as in Zygomycetes. A similar combining form used like a prefix is myceto-. Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use entries for both -mycetes and myceto-.

A term from mycology (the branch of biology dealing with fungi) that features the form -mycete is saccharomycete, “a single-celled yeast of the family Saccharomycetaceae.”

The form saccharo- means “sugar.” And, as we have seen, -mycete means “fungus.” Saccharomycete literally translates to “sugar fungus.” Find out more about where this scientific name comes from at our entry for yeast.

What are some words that use the equivalent of the combining form -mycete in Latin?

• basidiomycete
• deuteromycete
• oomycete
• phycomycete

What are some other forms that -mycete may be commonly confused with?

• -metry
• -morphic
• -mycin

The combining form phyco- means “algae.” With this in mind, what do the fungi known as Phycomycetes resemble?