mushroom
Americannoun
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any of various fleshy fungi including the toadstools, puffballs, coral fungi, morels, etc.
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any of several edible species, especially of the family Agaricaceae, as Agaricus campestris meadow mushroom, or field mushroom, cultivated for food in the U.S.
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anything of similar shape or correspondingly rapid growth.
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a large, mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke or rubble, formed in the atmosphere as a result of an explosion, especially a nuclear explosion.
adjective
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of, consisting of, or containing mushrooms.
a mushroom omelet.
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resembling a mushroom in shape or form.
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of rapid growth and often brief duration.
mushroom towns of the gold-rush days.
verb (used without object)
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to spread, grow, or develop quickly.
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to gather mushrooms.
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to have or assume the shape of a mushroom.
noun
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the fungus producing any of these structures
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something resembling a mushroom in shape or rapid growth
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( as modifier )
mushroom expansion
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verb
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to grow rapidly
demand mushroomed overnight
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to assume a mushroom-like shape
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to gather mushrooms
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Any of various fungi that produce a fleshy fruiting body, which usually consists of a stalk topped by an umbrella-shaped cap. Many mushrooms are basidiomycetes. Some species of mushrooms are edible, though many are poisonous. The term mushroom is often applied to the stalk and cap alone.
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See more at basidiomycete
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mushroomsimple
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mushroomssimple
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have mushroomedperfect
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has mushroomedperfect
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am mushroomingprogressive
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are mushroomingprogressive
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is mushroomingprogressive
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have been mushroomingperfect progressive
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has been mushroomingperfect progressive
Past
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mushroomedsimple
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had mushroomedperfect
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was mushroomingprogressive
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were mushroomingprogressive
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had been mushroomingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mushroom
First recorded in 1350–1400; alteration (by folk etymology) of Middle English muscheron, musseroun, from Middle French mousseron, ultimately from Late Latin mussiriōn-, stem of mussiriō
Explanation
A mushroom is the main body of a certain type of fungus. Edible mushrooms include portobellos and shiitakes. Don't mess around with the inedible types. Walk in the woods after a few days of rain, and you're sure to see mushrooms growing from the damp forest floor. Mushrooms like moist environments, and many mushrooms also grow incredibly fast, which is where the verb form of mushroom, "grow and spread quickly," comes from. The word's origin is ultimately uncertain, although some experts believe it's related to the French mousse, or "moss."
Vocabulary lists containing mushroom
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The company’s scale also means that a food safety breach at a single farm or plant can quickly mushroom into a broader public health emergency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
"It was almost like there was a mushroom cloud of smoke, it was like a bomb had gone off," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
During a nighttime field survey, researchers initially mistook the animal for a mushroom, highlighting just how convincing its disguise is.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
Stirred into a mushroom stroganoff, it amplifies the fungi’s naturally meaty qualities.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
He’d stand out like a mushroom in a flower patch.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Spermidine is produced naturally by human cells and is also present in foods including wheat germ, mushrooms, parmesan, and cheddar.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
The dry powder is more umami-heavy with notes of garlic and shiitake mushrooms and spicy, courtesy of gochugaru, or Korean red chili pepper.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
My Nonno and Zii always seemed to have shelves lined with preserved vegetables — roasted peppers, artichokes, mushrooms, and, of course, sun-dried tomatoes suspended in oil.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Mixing ground beef with ingredients like mashed black beans, brown lentils, mushrooms, ricotta cheese or bread crumbs can help cut costs while maintaining flavor.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
She walked with light steps, whispering the names of every tree and flower, careful not to trample any saplings or mushrooms as she stepped.
From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis
Since last fall, when Kakaiya began selling the model, clinician interest has mushroomed.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026
In 2019, more bases mushroomed on two nearby islands, and another in 2023—creating a sequenced footprint.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
This was the version of reality she lived after early mental health issues mushroomed into full-blown psychosis.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
As personal computer use mushroomed in the 1980s and ’90s, a mystery unfolded: Where was the productivity growth that so many anticipated?
From Barron's ● Dec. 1, 2025
Again, racial equality was being forced upon the South by the federal government, and by 1956, Southern white opposition to desegregation mushroomed into a vicious backlash.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
The technology stands accused of fuelling misinformation, copyright lawsuits are mushrooming, and many companies have cited AI adoption as an explanation for mass layoffs.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
USC’s deficit grew dramatically during the final year of Folt’s tenure, mushrooming from $158 million to upwards of $200 million — an increase of more than 26%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2025
The wave of protests mushrooming around the world has now forced a change of leadership in Madagascar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
Ms Shehrbano said authorities have seen a "mushrooming of incidents" similar to that on Sunday.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2024
“Sometimes I dream lightning strikes. Or earthquakes. Sometimes it’s dark clouds mushrooming in the sky. I wake troubled.”
From "Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
