mushroom

American  

[muhsh-room, -room] / ˈmʌʃ rum, -rʊm /

noun

1. any of various fleshy fungi including the toadstools, puffballs, coral fungi, morels, etc.

2. 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.

3. anything of similar shape or correspondingly rapid growth.

4. a large, mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke or rubble, formed in the atmosphere as a result of an explosion, especially a nuclear explosion.

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adjective

1. of, consisting of, or containing mushrooms.

   a mushroom omelet.

2. resembling a mushroom in shape or form.

3. of rapid growth and often brief duration.

   mushroom towns of the gold-rush days.

verb (used without object)

1. to spread, grow, or develop quickly.

2. to gather mushrooms.

3. to have or assume the shape of a mushroom.

mushroom British  

/ -rʊm, ˈmʌʃruːm /

noun

1. 1. the fleshy spore-producing body of any of various basidiomycetous fungi, typically consisting of a cap (pileus) at the end of a stem arising from an underground mycelium. Some species, such as the field mushroom, are edible Compare pileus toadstool

   2. ( as modifier )

      mushroom soup

2. the fungus producing any of these structures

3. 1. something resembling a mushroom in shape or rapid growth

   2. ( as modifier )

      mushroom expansion

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verb

1. to grow rapidly

   demand mushroomed overnight

2. to assume a mushroom-like shape

3. to gather mushrooms

mushroom Scientific  

/ mŭsh′ro̅o̅m′ /

1. 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.

2. See more at basidiomycete

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Other Word Forms

• mushroomlike adjective
• mushroomy adjective

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

Example Sentences

A police officer involved in a controversy sparked by efforts to sanction a woman for mushroom foraging has been found to have committed gross misconduct.

From BBC

Chef Suvir Saran recollects how his restaurant in New York began infusing naan with spinach, gouda and mushrooms.

From BBC

Back home, after the train ride, I washed and dried the mushrooms and sent them sizzling into a pan with shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and an indecent amount of smoked paprika.

From Salon

As Europe seeks to curb its dependence on China for rare earths, plans to mine the continent's biggest deposit have hit a roadblock over fears that mining operations could harm endangered beetles, mosses and mushrooms.

From Barron's

The Blue Angel, an extremely rare mushroom, eliminates any disease and can revive the recently deceased.

From Salon

Related Words

• boom
• burgeon
• expand
• explode
• flourish
• proliferate
• shoot up