mushroom
Americannoun
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mushrooms
plural
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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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mushrooms,
present (3rd person singular)
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mushroomed,
past participle, past
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mushrooming
present participle
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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:
There will also be a pastrami version, and a vegan option made of mushroom and onion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
"As part of a separate $7 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant involving Penn State, University of Delaware and UF/IFAS, we are developing advanced diagnostics and sustainable solutions to strengthen mushroom farms nationwide."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The findings could ultimately help make mushroom farming more resilient, productive and environmentally sustainable.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
A typical forage at this time of year could produce 20 or 30 edible types of mushroom, he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Without the title of Deadwood Usher, without the cottage and cloak and mushroom garden, what was left of him?
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
The scientists combined DNA sequencing, chemical profiling and conventional laboratory testing to identify the bacteria associated with the damaged mushrooms.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Despite their popularity, these mushrooms face a longstanding problem that can make entire portions of a harvest difficult or impossible to sell.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Adding to the difficulty, visible symptoms sometimes develop only after mushrooms have been shipped to grocery stores or purchased by consumers.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Porcini mushrooms, also known as penny buns or ceps, had been "a bit thin on the ground", he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
In the darkness of her cozy bedchamber, with her moss-green bedspread and the drawer pulls in the shape of mushrooms, she could almost pretend she was in the forest already.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
What began in 1995 as Parton's modest giveaway of 6,000 books to needy children has mushroomed into an operation involving hundreds of local groups and multiple publishers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
To understand how the people mover mushroomed in price, let’s start at the beginning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
That all changed as the Premier League's global appeal mushroomed.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Since last fall, when Kakaiya began selling the model, clinician interest has mushroomed.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026
The vision fizzled, and a poof of smoke mushroomed from its surface.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Nurse practitioner roles, which require more advanced training and offer more pay, are mushrooming as more states have given them license to independently practice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
It is visible in the mushrooming of private schools in small towns and villages.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
That is at least least partly due to Proposition 103, which was passed in 1988 in an era of mushrooming auto premiums.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
More and more EU countries are being thrown in the public spending sin bin over their mushrooming deficits, with Bulgaria expected to be added Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
Gerald Black, at his own request, was supervising the mushrooming wooden partitions that were springing up in a bellying circle on the vaulted third floor of Radiation Building 2.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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