destroying angel

American  

noun

1. any of several deadly poisonous mushrooms of the genus Amanita, having a white cap and stem, white spores, and a conspicuous volva at the base of the stem.

---

destroying angel British  

noun

1. a white slender very poisonous basidiomycetous toadstool, Amanita virosa, having a pronounced volva, frilled, shaggy stalk, and sickly smell

---

Etymology

Origin of destroying angel

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Two of the most toxic mushrooms that can be found in the state are the death cap and the western destroying angel mushroom, Amanita Ocreata.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026

Death cap mushrooms have a dome-shaped cap that may have olive or yellowish tones, while the western destroying angel has a cream or ochre-colored cap.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026

Three mushrooms known as the destroying angel, the deadly dapperling and the funeral bell all have something in common: the fabulously lethal toxin alpha-Amanitin.

From New York Times • May 9, 2022

He defines the destroying angel as “an absence of will, of purpose,” and says, “The feeling that the door is open but we don’t go through it is with us all the time.”

From The New Yorker • Aug. 15, 2016

It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer