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• fungi
  fungi

  plural noun

  a plural of fungus.
• Fungi
  Fungi

  noun

  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-
  fungi-

  a combining form representing fungus in compound words.

fungi

¹ American  

[fuhn-jahy, fuhng-gahy] / ˈfʌn dʒaɪ, ˈfʌŋ gaɪ /

plural noun

1. a plural of fungus.

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Fungi ² American  

[fuhn-jahy, fuhng-gahy] / ˈfʌn dʒaɪ, ˈfʌŋ gaɪ /

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.

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fungi- ³ American  

1. a combining form representing fungus in compound words.

   fungicide.

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fungi- ¹ British  

combining form

1. fungus

   fungicide

   fungoid

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fungi ² British  

/ ˈfʌndʒaɪ, ˈfʌndʒɪ, ˈfʌŋɡaɪ /

noun

1. a plural of fungus

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fungi Cultural  

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.”)

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of Fungi

From New Latin; see origin at fungus

Example Sentences

"Fungi have been ignored in climate and conservation for too long. Now is the time to change that trajectory."

From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026

This September, I dove into the universe of mycotourism myself at All Things Fungi, a celebration of mushrooms that’s been compared to the renowned Glastonbury music festival.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

Back in 2015, Fungi Perfecti’s products said prominently on the jar, “made with U.S. grown organic mushrooms.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2025

“Looking at nature without fungi is like trying to diagnose a disease without doing a blood test. Fungi are the firmament of life on Earth. They make systems ecosystems.”

From Salon • Oct. 18, 2024

“She’s just never got over you outperforming her in Potions,” said Ron, returning to his copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling