fairy ring

American  

noun

1. any of numerous mushrooms of meadows and open woods, especially the well-known Marasmius oreades, that spread in rings originating from mycelial growth: formerly supposed to mark the paths laid by dancing fairies.

---

fairy ring British  

noun

1. a ring of dark luxuriant vegetation in grassy ground corresponding to the edge of an underground fungal mycelium: popularly associated with the dancing of fairies: seasonally marked by a ring of mushrooms

2. short for fairy ring mushroom, Marasmius oreades , a dainty buff-coloured edible basidiomycetous fungus, characteristically forming rings in grassland

---

Etymology

Origin of fairy ring

First recorded in 1590–1600

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fairy ring

Anyone who has ventured into a marsh is likely to have come across a fairy ring: a strange patch of ground where the plant life is markedly different, often for no apparent reason.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 16, 2024

But this very neglect has allowed nature to take over with her delicate jewels and living draperies, and the property is even encircled by a ring of ancient-looking moss-covered stones like a fairy ring.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2024

Her property includes a fairy ring, a group of redwoods growing in a tight circle around the stump of a logged tree.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2019

The guacamole is presented as a kind of fairy ring, trimmed with colorful pickled vegetables and ash.

From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2019

Kathleen awoke the next morning in her own bed in her ordinary house, and she longed to be back in that fairy ring so much that her body ached with the memory of it.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---