Fungi

¹

[fuhn-jahy, fuhng-gahy]

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a taxonomic kingdom, or in some classification schemes a division of the kingdom Plantae, comprising all the fungus groups and sometimes also the slime molds.

fungi

²

[fuhn-jahy, fuhng-gahy]

plural noun

1. a plural of fungus.

fungi-

³

1. a combining form representing fungus in compound words.

   fungicide.

fungi-

¹

combining form

1. fungus

   fungicide

   fungoid

fungi

²

/ ˈfʌndʒaɪ, ˈfʌndʒɪ, ˈfʌŋɡaɪ /

noun

1. a plural of fungus

fungi

1. sing. fungus Plantlike organisms lacking chlorophyll, such as mushrooms, molds, yeasts, and mildews. Modern biologists tend to place fungi in their own kingdom, not in the plant kingdom, because they get their nutrients from other living things (or from the remains of living things that have died) rather than from photosynthesis. (See under “Medicine and Health.”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fungi¹

From New Latin; fungus

Example Sentences

After examining the evolutionary history of fungi, an international group of scientists has concluded that these organisms first appeared between 900 million and 1.4 billion years ago, far earlier than scientists had believed.

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The findings reveal that the planet's tectonic plates were far from still, driving changes that produced oxygen-rich seas and the emergence of early eukaryotes -- organisms that would eventually give rise to plants, animals, and fungi.

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The scientists were inspired by natural fungi that emit a pleasant chemical known as longifolene, which they discovered could attract mosquitoes.

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Researchers at The Ohio State University recently discovered that edible fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms, can be cultivated and guided to function as organic memristors.

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This is a significant problem because each oak tree supports up to 2,300 species of wildlife including birds, mammals, fungi and insects - the most of any native UK tree - according to the Woodland Trust.

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When To Use

What does fungi- mean?

The combining form fungi- is used like a prefix meaning “fungus.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.The form fungi- comes from Latin fungus, meaning “fungus.” It is possible that fungus is related to Greek spóngos, meaning "sponge," by way of a long-lost substrate language of the Mediterranean.What are variants of fungi-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, fungi- becomes fung-, as in fungemia.