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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.
Search instead for fungia.

fungi

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

plural noun

  1. a plural of fungus.


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.


fungi- 3 American  
  1. a combining form representing fungus in compound words.

    fungicide.


fungi 1 British  
/ ˈfʌndʒaɪ, ˈfʌndʒɪ, ˈfʌŋɡaɪ /

noun

  1. a plural of fungus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fungi- 2 British  

combining form

  1. fungus

    fungicide

    fungoid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.”)


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

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:

At the heart of current research is the oral microbiome, the community of hundreds of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in the mouth.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 26, 2026

"It really changed my perspective towards plants," he said, his expressive face lighting up as he explained mycorrhiza, a symbiotic association between fungi and plant roots.

From Barron's Jun. 19, 2026

Legend has it that the outlaw Robin Hood used the Major Oak's hollow trunk - which in fact was caused by fungi - as his hideout.

From BBC Jun. 17, 2026

Beneath the ground, vast networks of fungi quietly support plant life and play an important role in regulating the planet's climate by helping move carbon into soils.

From Science Daily Jun. 15, 2026

That crumbling horror, that evil lake, the fungi, the extensive decay!

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

Fungi without these genes were much less successful at infecting bark beetles, showing that the detoxification process is critical for overcoming the beetles' chemical defenses.

From Science Daily Jan. 1, 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

The company provides the mushrooms for Real Mushrooms, an online sister firm that sells fungi supplements, and is a rival to Fungi Perfecti.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2025

Fungi can have white collar proteins and cryptochromes for detection of blue light, opsins that detect green light, and phytochromes for red light.

From Salon Apr. 15, 2025

“It’s true. Fungi are as distinct from plants as animals are.”

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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